S'mores Candy

All the components of s'mores, graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows are combined in this sinfully delicious candy!

I have to admit, this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal really snuck up on me!  I was excited when I got my assignment and almost immediately headed over to check out Desi's site, Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl.  I've been reading Desi's blog for a long time, and a couple months ago she made one of my recipes for reveal day.  I love to read about the restaurants she goes to and her recipes are delicious!

I picked out a few recipes that caught my eye...and then forgot about it.  Oops!  Then I got an email on Friday reminding me that my reveal day was on Monday!  I knew it was the 21st, I just hadn't realized that it was so close.

Anyway, I looked back over my list of recipes I'd chosen from Desi's blog, and was drawn back to these Graham Cracker S'mores Candies.  We are camping this week, and so my mind is on packing and camp food.  You have to have s'mores when you're camping, so this snack was absolutely perfect.

These candies are so easy to make.  They were done in about 15 minutes.  I could hardly wait for them to cool down enough so I could try one!  The caramel mixture seeps into the graham cracker transforming it into a delicious toffee.  Then the marshmallows and chocolate melt and get all gooey.  The only change I made was to use chocolate chips instead of pieces of a chocolate bar, because my chocolate bars were packed for camping. This candy is perfection!

S'mores Candy

Ingredients:
12 graham crackers
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar and stir until the mixture comes to a boil, about 4-6 minutes.

2.  While the caramel is heating, line a baking sheet with foil.  Place graham crackers evenly on the foil, covering the bottom of the pan.

3.  Pour the caramel evenly over the crackers.

4.  Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes, until bubbly.

5.  Remove from oven and top with marshmallows and then chocolate chips.

6.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes, until marshmallows soften and puff up.

Cool completely and cut into squares.  Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between the layers of candy.

Source: Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl

An InLinkz Link-up

Frosted Marshmallow Eggs

These adorable Frosted Marshmallow Eggs are the perfect Easter treat!  They're sugary, covered in sprinkles, and perfect for kids.

It's that time of the year when we are surrounded by sweets, particularly sugar coated marshmallows.  Rather than attempt another peeps project, I decided to go with marshmallows that were already created.  However, if you want a good chuckle, feel free to check out my Homemade Marshmallow Walruses Peeps.  And then check out my Marshmallow Bird's Nests, just so you can see that my marshmallow piping skills have improved! :)

I purchased a bunch of spring sprinkles on clearance last year.  The good thing about sprinkles is that they last forever!  Since I purchased them at the end of the season, I didn't have much of a chance to use them last year, so I thought before I miss Easter again this year, I better get busy.

This recipe couldn't be any more simple!  Take your marshmallow egg (or regular marshmallow if you can't find shapes) and cover it with a layer of frosting.  I flavored mine with a packet of Duncan Hines frosting creations.  I used bubble gum flavor, because who doesn't want to go over the top sweet?  You can use any flavor you wish, or just use plain frosting.  Then cover the frosting with sprinkles.  Let the frosting harden and viola, you have a cute spring snack!

Frosted Marshmallow Eggs

Ingredients:
1 bag of Marshmallow eggs
1 container of vanilla frosting
1 packet Duncan Hines frosting creations flavor mix
sprinkles

1.  Combine the frosting and frosting creations.

2.  Spread frosting on the marshmallows and cover with sprinkles.

3.  Place marshmallows on a piece of waxed paper and allow the frosting to dry.

Store in an airtight container.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

A double chocolate cookie topped with more chocolate and a toasted marshmallow. It's hot chocolate in cookie form!

What a week!  Half our state has been shut down for the past 3 days due to a huge snowstorm!  My work was actually closed on Monday and Tuesday, and that never happens.  All the kids I know where ecstatic to have their Christmas vacation extended by 2 days.  Some schools were still closed yesterday due to the snow covered and icy roads.  I drove into work and the roads were certainly messy.

It's days like this week that I love nothing more than to cuddle up on the couch with a good movie, a blanket, and a cup of hot chocolate.  And this week I did just that...plus I enjoyed a few of these Hot Chocolate Cookies.  I made them for our small group and everyone loved them.  Our host even kept a few because he liked them so much.

These double chocolate cookies are baked and then topped with chocolate and marshmallows.  The chocolate melts and the marshmallow gets all gooey...  One bite and you'll be in love!

This month's Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge ingredients are cocoa and marshmallows.  I'm happy to link this recipe up for this month's challenge.  Be sure to check out the other recipes in the linky below.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-1/2 cups flour*
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips
36 marshmallows

1.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate until the mixture can be stirred smooth.  Set aside to cool.

2.  In a medium bowl mix together the flour*, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

3.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

4.  Add the chocolate mixture and mix until combined.

5.  Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

6.  Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

7.  Scoop the dough out and roll into 1 inch balls.

8.  Place dough balls about 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheets and flatten slightly with your palm.

9.  Bake cookies at 350 for 12 minutes.

10.  Remove baking sheets from the oven.  Quickly top each cookie with 4-5 chocolate chips and a marshmallow.

11.  Return the cookies to the oven for approximately 4 minutes, until the marshmallows are softened and begin to brown.

Allow the cookies to cool slightly before serving.  These cookies are best eaten warm (when the marshmallow and chocolate is melted), however they can easily be warmed for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.  I enjoyed them the next day without reheating as well.

*The original recipe called for 1-1/2 cups flour.  If you want, start with that amount.  I found that after adding 1-1/2 cups, my dough had the consistency of a cake batter, so I was unable to roll the dough.  I added an additional cup of flour.  After refrigerating, the dough was easy to work with.  Depending on the humidity in your house (I made these in January in Michigan) as well as other factors, you may not need to add an additional cup...use your best judgement and feel free to ask me questions!

Source:  Pip & Ebby

Festive Marshmallow Treat Fruit Skewers

I absolutely love the summer holidays!  There is just something about them that makes me really look forward to Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.  I think part of it has to do with having a day off of work when the weather is nice enough to be outside to enjoy it.  Plus, each of these holidays typically involves cook-outs and fireworks, two more things I love!

These festive fruit skewers were so fun to make, and they were fun to eat as well!  I actually made a bunch of them last summer for a Labor Day cook-out, but wanted to save the recipe to share when it was more relevant.  Now is that time!

I wanted the snacks to look like fireworks, but also incorporate the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue.  If you don't have red and blue sprinkles for the marshmallow treats, don't worry about it, there is plenty of red and blue from the fruits!

This is a snack that I think would be fun for children to assemble. Parents, just cut up the strawberries and marshmallow treats and let your kids have fun!  Not only will they enjoy putting these snacks together, you'll feel good about the fruit they're consuming when they get to eat their creations later.

Marshmallow Treat Fruit Skewers

Ingredients:
1 pan of marshmallow treats (recipe below)
1 quart of strawberries, washed and hulled
1 pint of blueberries
6" wooden skewers (if necessary, cut longer skewers in half)

1.  Cut marshmallow treats into star shapes using a cookie cutter. Set aside.

2.  Cut strawberries in half, width-wise.

3.  Thread the strawberries and blueberries onto the skewer, alternating strawberry half, 2 blueberries, strawberry half, 2 blueberries.

4.  Top the skewer with a marshmallow star.

These are best served the day they are made, otherwise the fruit and marshmallow treats become soggy.

Marshmallow Treats

3 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1 (10 ounce) package marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
red and blue sprinkles


1.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter (or coconut oil) and marshmallows on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.

2.  Stir until smooth, returning to microwave in 30 second intervals if necessary.

3.  Add cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

4.  Press into a greased 9x13" pan.  Top with sprinkles.

Allow the marshmallow treats to cool before cutting.

S'mores Bars

Do you ever get started on making a recipe only to find out you're out a few key ingredients?  Yeah, that's happened to me a few times recently.  I blame pregnancy brain--I rarely run out of ingredients like flour and sugar, but last night I got started making some muffins and discovered I had less than a cup of sugar left!  Yikes!  Thankfully, I had a stash of vanilla sugar I was able to use, but still, who runs out of sugar?

Mike and I recently became part of a couple's small group at our church.  We've started meeting together every other week, and we take turns hosting.  The hosts provide the main dish and the other two couples bring a side or dessert.  Last time, I offered to bring a dessert.  I had a specific dessert in mind that I wanted to make, but of course, I didn't have one of the key ingredients--Nutter Butter Cookies.  (And that's a hard thing to substitute!)  So I went to plan B, only to go to the basement pantry and discover that I was out of yet another key ingredient!  Fail.

So I continued on to find a dessert that I knew I had everything in the house for.  This time I was successful!  They say the third time's the charm, and that certainly was the case with this dessert.  I had pinned these S'mores  Bars a while back and I'm so glad that I finally got around to making them.  They were the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, and gooey!  Our small group loved these bars and I see them making their appearance at many events this summer!

S'mores Bars

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows, divided
1 regular sized Hershey chocolate bar

1.  Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.

2.  In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.  Place in the bottom of the prepared pan and press down to form a crust.

3.  In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and sugars until fluffy.

4.  Add in the egg and vanilla and mix.

5.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture and mix until combined.

6.  Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows until evenly distributed.

7.  Spoon the cookie dough on top of the graham cracker crust as evenly as possible.  (I found it was easier to use my fingers to flatten it out.

8.  Bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes, until the bars are set.

9.  About 5 minutes before the bars are done baking, sprinkle the marshmallows on top and return the bars to the oven to finish baking.

10.  Break the chocolate bar into pieces and place on top of the baked bars.  Let the bars cool completely before cutting.

Source: Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

S'mores Banana Bread Cake

Are you a camper?  Growing up, camping was something we looked forward to every summer.  My family would typically spend a week camping in either Canada or Kentucky.  We'd also spend a couple weekends at local campgrounds.  And, if we took a vacation, we usually camped out instead of staying in a hotel.  It was a big deal for us when we finally upgraded from a tent to a pop-up camper!

Mike's family also enjoyed camping.  However, their version of camping was quite a bit more upscale than what I was used to!  They had a large trailer and would typically just go to local campgrounds.  Regardless, camping is something that both Mike and I love to do.

Mike's cousins have started a tradition of camping at a family campground each summer.  Last year and the year before, we were able to borrow Mike's parents' trailer and spend the weekend with everyone.  We had such a good time and made so many memories.  Mike and I own a tent and would love to go camping with a group of friends, but that's going to have to wait until next year...

One of my favorite things about camping is making s'mores.  It's just not camping unless you build a big fire, roast marshmallows, and put together a s'more.  There's just something about the golden brown marshmallow melting a big piece of chocolate between two graham crackers that I just love!  While I like traditional campfire s'mores, I also enjoy making other treats into s'mores.  (Like S'mores Puppy Chow, Mess-less S'mores, S'mores Bark...oh, I love s'mores!)

This time I decided to put a s'mores twist on banana bread.  This bread recipe is from my mom and it's my absolute favorite banana bread recipe.  I added a good amount of chocolate chips to the batter.  Then, once the bread was done baking, I topped it with a generous amount of marshmallows and put it under the broiler to roast the marshmallows.  The result was out of this world!

S'mores Banana Bread Cake

Serves 16

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)
1/3 cup water
1-2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, and eggs.

2.  Mix in the bananas and water.

3.  Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

4.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

5.  Pour the batter into a greased 8x8" cake pan.

6.  Bake at 350 for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

7.  Spread mini marshmallows on top of the cake immediately after it comes out of the oven.

8.  Place under the broiler for approximately 2 minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted.  Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn!

9.  Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing into it.

Cover and store at room temperature.

Trail Mix

Through-out high school and college, I practically lived on trail mix.  It was so easy to make--just open the cupboards and throw whatever I found into a big mixing bowl.  Give it a shake and enjoy!  If done right, trail mix can be a pretty healthy and substaintial snack.  I'd often pack a bag of trail mix and an apple and call it lunch at work or school.

I still enjoy making trail mixes, in fact, I'm having this one for lunch today!  (With some other items, of course!)  After my friend had her baby a couple weeks ago, I put together a trail mix for her.  I thought it would be easy to grab a quick handful, especially for those midnight feedings.  I added a bag of my newest addiction--Brookside Dark Chocolate bites, and I heard her tell her husband those were all hers!

I hesitate to even call this a recipe because I rarely make it the same each time.  However, I've listed below the items that are staples in my trail mixes.  What other foods do you put in your trail mix?

Trail Mix

Makes 16 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:
2 cups Cheerios
1 cup pretzels, broken in pieces
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup raisins
1 cup Brookside chocolates (my favorite is the Acai with blueberry)
1 cup almonds (I like to use the smokehouse flavor)
1 cup peanuts

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Cover and store at room temperature.

Marshmallow Bird's Nests

I love marshmallow Peeps.  This time of the year, they're available in just about every store.  I simply can't resist tossing a package into my cart each time I go shopping.  Thankfully I only get groceries once a week!  There's just something about the crunchy sugar exterior and the fluffy marshmallow interior that I absolutely love. 

A couple years ago, I tried my hand at making homemade Marshmallow Peeps.  Admittedly, my chicks turned out looking more like walruses than birds, but they were delicious.  Go ahead and check out my walrus peeps--it's okay to laugh!

Since this week is Easter week, I wanted to come up with some fun Easter/Spring themed ideas to share.  Last week I had a couple of nights that I couldn't sleep, so I laid in bed planning out this week's recipes.  One of those late night brainstorms led the the idea of marshmallow bird's nests.  I still have 3/4 of the bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs in my pantry and I knew I wanted to use them again.  This recipe was the perfect use!

The marshmallow nests were way easier to make than the marshmallow peeps.  I just piped a circle with the marshmallow and then after I sprinkled the sugar on, I was able to reshape the nests if necessary.  The sugar created a good barrier between my fingers and the sticky marshmallow.  You'll want to work quickly as you make these because the marshmallow in the bag will start to set as you work.

These were fun to make, and even more fun to eat! 

Marshmallow Nests

Makes 10 3" nests

Ingredients:
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Colored sanding sugar
40 Cadbury Mini Eggs

1.  Pour 1/3 cup cold water into the bowl of your stand mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over water.

2.  In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Stir over medium-heat until sugar dissolves.

3.  Boil sugar, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 238 degrees.

4.  Pour syrup over gelatin.

5.  Using the whisk attachment, start your mixer on the lowest possible speed.  Once mixture has cooled, increase speed to medium-high.  Beat marshmallow mixture until peaks form and the mixture is able to hold its shape.  Mine took almost 15 minutes to reach this state.

6.  Scoop marshmallow mixture into a large pasty bag with a half-inch tip (or for easier clean-up, use a gallon Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the end to pipe).

7.  Sprinkle a large baking sheet with colored sugar.  (You can easily make your own.)

8.  Pipe marshmallow into a circle. 

9.  Sprinkle the tops and sides of the marshmallow nest with sugar.  If necessary, use your fingers to shape the marshmallow into a circle or flatten down any tips from where you ended piping.

10.  Press 4 Mini Cadbury Chocolate Eggs into the center of each marshmallow nest.

11.  Allow the marshmallows to harden, about 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Marshmallow recipe from:  The Novice Chef

Rocky Road Oatmeal

Last year I went through a phase where I ate nothing by steel cut oatmeal for breakfast every day for about six months.  I continued this trend until after I completed my half-marathon and I decided to branch out.  About a month later, I tried oatmeal again but was only able to eat a few bites.  It just didn't sit well with me.  I had no idea what was going on until I found out I was pregnant--crazy taste buds.

Thankfully, my tastes are pretty much back to normal.  It was perfect timing too, because as I browsed through My Catholic Kitchen for this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment, I was intrigued by Veronica's recipe for Rocky Road Oatmeal.  It is made with steel cut oats (my favorite) and chocolate.  I figured I couldn't go wrong!  Veronica gives directions to make this breakfast in the slow cooker, but timing-wise that wasn't going to work for me.  I just made mine in a pot on the stove and it worked out just fine. 

This made for a great breakfast--you can't beat chocolate and marshmallows first thing in the morning!  It was pretty sweet, so I'd suggest cutting down on the sugar or taking a smaller portion.  I topped mine with some milk chocolate chips and marshmallow bits.  While I wouldn't eat this every day for breakfast, I'll definitely make it again for a special treat!

Rocky Road Oatmeal

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3-1/4 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 teaspoons milk chocolate chips
4 teaspoons marshmallow bits

1.  In a medium pan, bring the water to a rolling boil.

2.  Add the steel cut oats, brown sugar, and cocoa powder to the water and stir to dissolve the sugar.

3.  Allow the oats to cook for 30 minutes, until they are tender.

4.  Scoop oatmeal into a bowl and top oats with milk chocolate chips and marshmallow bits before serving.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.  I add a splash of milk before reheating and the oats taste freshly made.

Source: My Catholic Kitchen

S'mores Brownies

What is better than an ooey-gooey brownie? How about a brownie with toasted marshmallows on top?  Oh, and graham crackers on the bottom. It's a s'mores brownie!

I've had this idea churning in my head for a while.  It started as a s'mores cupcake idea, but then since I was short on time, it morphed into s'mores brownies. I cheated and used a boxed brownie mix, but you could certainly make your favorite brownie recipe.  I brought these on our youth group retreat a couple of weeks ago and they were a hit!

As a side note: I made these in a non-stick pan that you can't use a knife in.  Because the bottom is graham crackers, it took a bit of work to cut these brownies with a plastic spatula.  I'd recommend either breaking the graham crackers into smaller pieces if you must use a non-stick pan, or baking these in a glass pan so you can use a sharp knife!

S'mores Brownies 

Serves 24

Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers
1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients required to make it
12 regular sized marshmallows, halved

1.  Break the graham crackers into quarters (along the "lines") and line the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan with the graham crackers.

2.  Make the brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  Pour the brownie batter over the graham crackers.

3.  Bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes (or according to the directions on your brownie mix box), until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out mostly clean.

4.  Remove the brownies from the oven and turn your oven onto broil.

5.  Sprinkle the halved marshmallows on top of the brownies and place under the broiler for about 1 minute (watch closely!), until the the marshmallows are golden brown.

Allow the brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares.  

Oreo Marshmallow Treats

 

One of my favorite things about creating and making recipes is the opportunity to change it up and make it your own.  I especially like to change up recipes that are usually made pretty much the same every time, like making S'mores Puppy Chow or Funfetti Puppy Chow instead of basic Puppy Chow.  I've also made a few variations on Rice Krispies treats like Cookie Dough Marshmallow Treats and Cookie Dough Scotcheroos.  

I've been on an Oreo kick lately.  I bought a package a couple of months ago to make some Snowman Cookies and I've been hopelessly addicted ever since then.  My favorite way to enjoy an Oreo is just to eat it plain, but then I had the idea to add Oreos to Rice Krispies Treats.  And what a grand idea it was!  I'm also trying to incorporate the use of coconut oil into my diet so I decided to replace the butter with coconut oil.  It added just a slight hint of coconut to the treats, but I thought it was a fantastic, and slightly healthier, addition!

Oreo Marshmallow Treats

Makes 1 9x13" pan, 16-20 servings

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 (10 ounce) package regular sized marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
10 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces (I used chocolate filled, but any kind of Oreo would be delicious)

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat coconut oil and marshmallows on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. 

2.  Stir until smooth, returning to microwave in 30 second intervals if necessary.

3.  Add cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

4.  Add broken Oreo cookies and stir until just combined.

5.  Press mixture into a greased 9x13" pan.  Cool before cutting and serving.

S'mores Puppy Chow

Did you know there's a holiday for just about everything now?  That's right, there's a Nutella day, a Blueberry Cheesecake day, an Eat a Peach day, and a Cotton Candy day. And of course, we can't forget National S'mores Day.  Which just happens to be today, August 10! 

I made this puppy chow when Mike and I went camping with his cousins a few weeks ago.  A few other people had munchies out so I went to the trailer to grab ours.  Mike asked why I was bringing out a snack so close (2 hours) to dinner time?  I said I was hungry and others might want some too.  I was right and I saw quite a few people munching on this s'mores puppy chow right up 'til dinner time.  I also heard comments like, "this is so good!" and "what's in here?" and "what makes this so yummy?"  My secret?  It's made with love.  Just kidding! (Kind of...)

I followed my basic recipe for puppy chow, but I added in broken pieces of graham crackers and mini marshmallows.  This version was certainly a hit and Mike and I scraped the bottom of the bowl clean.  The sugary pieces at the bottom are the best!

S'mores Puppy Chow
Makes 18-20 1/2 cup servings

You will need:
9 cups Chex cereal
2 sleeves of graham crackers, broken into pieces
2 cups mini dehydrated marshmallows
2 cups (maybe more) powdered sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Measure cereal into a large bowl (preferably with a cover).  Add graham crackers and marshmallows and set aside.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter.  Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds, until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla.

3. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal mixture and stir to coat thoroughly.

4. Pour about 1 cup of powdered sugar on top of coated cereal. Put the cover on the bowl and shake to coat. Add as much powdered sugar as you need to cover the cereal.

Store in an airtight container.

Here are a few more of my favorite s'mores recipes!

S'mores Bark

S'mores Bars

S'mores Thumbprints with Marshmallow Frosting

S'mores Popcorn

S'mores on a Stick

Mess-less S'mores

"That One Dessert"

You may have noticed by now that I like to experiment and try new things.  Especially when it comes to food!  Put me in the middle of a specialty grocery store and I could spend hours browsing through the selection.  I could also spend lots of money there, so that's why I tend to avoid specialty stores.  One day, I was at my "favorite" grocery store when I saw these incredible waffle cone bowls.  I got super excited and I had to buy a box.  Now, I know they're not really new or different, but until recently I'd only seen them at ice-cream shops, never in the store!  I bought a box, brought it home, and there it sat.  Waiting for the perfect use.  (Because just using them for ice-cream was way too boring!)

This snack...or dessert...was created on a whim one night.  I wanted something fruit, but sweet.  Chocolaty, but not overpoweringly so.  And so, this creation was born.  I immediately knew it was a keeper.  A few nights later, Mike requested dessert and I asked if I could surprise him.  He agreed and so I put together my creation again.  I knew I'd hit the jackpot when Mike loved it, and requested it again a few nights later!  Since then, we've had this dessert many times.  I'll admit, I even enjoyed it for lunch one day :)

Feel free to experiment with other fruits, white chocolate chips, or even nuts.  Whatever suits your fancy--I'm sure it will be delicious!

As far as the title for this post "That One Dessert"...Mike and I could not come up with a name for this dessert.  When I make it, we typically refer to it as "that one dessert" "you know, the one with strawberries, bananas, chocolate chips, and marshmallows in the waffle bowl?"  But that makes for an awfully long recipe name!  So, if you come up with a fantastic name, I'd love to hear it!  And, if I choose your name, I'll post a link to your blog giving you the credit!

That One Dessert!

Serves 2

You will need:
2 waffle bowls
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 banana, sliced
6 strawberries, sliced
20 mini marshmallows

1.  Sprinkle a few chocolate chips in the bottom of each waffle bowl.  Place bowls on a cookie sheet.

2.  Place waffle bowls under your broiler for about 30 seconds, just so the chocolate melts.  (You can skip this step, but I always do this so the bottom layer of chocolate is melted.)

3.  Place a few banana slices in the bottom of each bowl, followed by a few strawberry slices, and topped with a few chocolate chips.  Repeat layers.

4.  Sprinkle marshmallows on top of each fruit-filled bowl.

5.  Place under your broiler for 1-2 minutes, just until the marshmallows turn golden brown.

Eat as is, or topped with whipped topping, or ice-cream

The perfect bite!!!

S'mores Bark

It's no secret that I love s'mores.  A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for S'mores Bars that used dehydrated marshmallows.  Since then, I have been brainstorming other ways to use the tiny marshmallows.  We had some friends coming over for dinner, and I wanted a quick snack that we could munch on while playing games that night.  Then it hit me, why not take the idea of my Marbled Chocolate Treats and sprinkle marshmallows on top?  So that's what I did and every last piece was devoured!

S'mores Bark

Makes one 8x8" pan (served 4)

You will need:

5 graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dehydrated marshmallows

1.  Line the bottom of your 8x8" pan with graham crackers.  You may need to break them in order to fully line your pan.

2.  Melt the chocolate chips and spread them evenly over the graham crackers.

3.  Sprinkle the dehydrated marshmallows on the melted chocolate and press gently so they stick.

4.  Let the bark sit until the chocolate has hardened (about 10 minutes).  Cut or break into pieces.

S'mores Bars

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love s'mores!  I love the combination of melted chocolate, gooey marshmallows and crispy graham crackers.  I enjoy coming up with new ways to enjoy s'mores and this is one of my new favorite ways.

I recently purchased chocolate Cheerios, probably because they were on sale.  I don't eat a lot of cereal for breakfast, but I often eat it as a snack.  One day I was looking at the box of Cheerios in the pantry and thinking about what I could do with them.  I also noticed my huge bag of dehydrated marshmallows (like the ones you get in hot chocolate mixes).  I picked up the bag in Shipshewana when I was shopping there a few months ago.  I put those two ingredients together and came up with these bars. 

I brought these to youth group for my girls, who raved over them.  Then I put one in Mike's lunch and he came home that day and said he really liked "those bars" in his lunch.  This is definitely a recipe I'll make over and over again!

S'mores Bars

Makes a 9x13" pan, about 24 servings

You will need:
40 regular sized marshmallows
2 Tablespoons margarine
6 cups Chocolate Cheerios cereal
1 cup dehydrated marshmallows*
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


1.  Place marshmallows and margarine in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high in 30 second increments until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture can be stirred together.

2.  Add Cheerios to melted marshmallow mixture and stir together until completely coated.

3.  Mix in dehydrated marshmallows and chocolate chips.

4.  Press into a 9x13" pan  and let the bars cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Source: my original recipe, inspired by Kellogg's

*I purchased my marshmallows at a bulk food store.  They are also available online, or I've recently heard that Kraft has started selling them.  If you can't find them, you can leave them out.

Bailey's Marshmallows

I know, it's nearly spring, so why I am posting a snowman?  Well, here in Michigan, we're expecting an ice storm to hit today.  (Actually it looks like it's going to just rain instead...gotta love our Michigan winter!) I love to have a cup of hot chocolate with melty marshmallows to keep me warm when it's so cold outside.  I thought I better post this marshmallow before winter is completely over :)

I love to make my own marshmallows, there's just something so fun about making and eating them!  These marshmallows are a little different from my typical recipe for marshmallows...these have a special ingredient in them that make them unique.  These marshmallows get their kick from Bailey's...yes that's right, the liquer you might enjoy in your coffee or just on the rocks.  Mike tried rum cream (similar to Bailey's) on our honeymoon and really liked it.  I knew he'd get a kick out of these marshmallows too!

These Bailey's marshmallows do have the flavor of a shot of Bailey's!  The texture was slightly different from a typical marshmallow but the fun flavor made up for that!  These were delicious in a cup of hot chocolate, but I think they would also be fabulous if you dipped them in melted chocolate...yum!

*Note:  These are not kid friendly, so please make and indulge responsibly!  Please see my other marshmallow recipe for a kid friendly version!

Bailey's Marshmallows

Makes one 9x13" pan

You will need:

3-1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold Bailey's
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 Tablespoon vanilla

1.  Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and coat with powdered sugar.  Set aside for later.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, pour 1/2 cup of the cold Bailey's and sprinkle with the gelatin.  Stir once with a spoon and then let it sit.

3.  In a medium saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup of Bailey's, sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Heat over low heat, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. 

4.  Turn the heat up to medium and bring the sugar mixture up to a boil.  Let it boil for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees. 

5.  Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and slowly (carefully) add the hot sugar mixture to the gelatin mixture.  Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 6-8 minutes.

6.  While the sugar and gelatin mixture is beating, add the egg whites to a medium bowl and beat with your hand mixture. Beat eggs until stiff peaks form.

7.  Add the eggs and vanilla to the sugar and gelatin mixture and beat until just combined.

8.  Pour the marshmallow mixture into the greased 9x13" pan.  It will be sticky, so get as much out of the bowl as possible.

9.  If desired, drop food coloring onto the top of the marshmallow mixture and swirl through with a toothpick. 

10.  Dust powdered sugar on top of the marshmallows and let them firm up for 3 to 5 hours.

11.  Once the marshmallows are firm, turn the pan upside down onto a cutting board.  Cut into desired sized squares using a pizza cutter dipped in water. 

Store marshmallows in an airtight container.

Source:  How Sweet Eats

S'mores Thumbprints with Marshmallow Frosting

In December, my mom's friend hosted a Cookie Exchange.  She invited my Mom, Grandma, Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law, and myself to join in the fun.  We were each asked to bring 3 dozen cookies to share.  I spent a long time choosing out the "perfect" recipe for the evening, but I definitely picked a hit!  We enjoyed an evening of delicious appetizers, fun games, good company, and yummy cookies!  Everyone had a great night, and I have a feeling this could become a yearly tradition.

My MIL has repeatedly asked "when are you going to post your S'mores cookies on your blog?", so here they are!  They are fun to make and taste delicious.  I hope you'll enjoy these cookies as much as we did.

S'mores Thumbprints

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

You will need:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 batch marshmallow frosting (recipe below)
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

3.  Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until combined.

4.  Stir in the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together.  Stir in chocolate chips.

5.  Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball to create an indentation.

6.  Bake cookies at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and cool cookies completely.

7.  Scoop frosting into an icing bag fitted with a large tip and fill in the indentation of the cookie with frosting.  (If you don't have an icing bag, you can snip an end off a Ziploc bag  to create one, or just use a spoon to scoop the frosting into the cookies.)

8.  Top cookies with a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs.  Store in an airtight container.

Source:  How Sweet Eats

I loved this marshmallow frosting.  It took a few attempts to get it "just right".  The first recipe I tried tasted like I was eating straight butter so I had to compensate by increasing the amount of marshmallow fluff.  I think I've perfected the recipe now though, and I know it will be appearing in more recipes in the future.  I added in a few tablespoons of Toasted Marshmallow syrup to increase the marshmallow flavor, but if you don't have any available, the frosting tastes great without it.  I purchased mine at our favorite coffee shop.

Marshmallow Frosting

You will need:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
2 Tablespoons toasted marshmallow syrup (optional)
3 cups powdered sugar

1.  Beat butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until creamy.

2.  Add in marshmallow fluff and beat for 2 minutes.

3.  Add in vanilla extract and marshmallow syrup and mix until incorporated.

4.  Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated.  Then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

S'mores Popcorn

One of my absolute snacks is s'mores.  There's something so irresistible about the golden brown marshmallow melting a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker.  However, I'm not always around a campfire to roast marshmallows, so I have to turn to other ways to enjoy s'mores.

Another one of my favorite snacks is popcorn.  When I was growing up, Friday nights were always popcorn nights at our house.  My dad would pop a huge bowl of popcorn, pour melted butter over it, and sprinkle it with salt.  Then we'd settle down to watch a movie and munch on popcorn.

I decided to combine two of my favorite snacks into one: S'mores Popcorn.  I found it absolutely delicious and irresistible and I hope you will too!

S'mores Popcorn

Makes 10-12 servings

You will need:

6 quarts popped popcorn (3/4 cup kernels)
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla
12 graham crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, corn syrup, margarine, and salt.  Stir constantly until brown sugar dissolves.

2.  Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature, and boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 270 degrees.  Stir occasionally.

3.  While sugar mixture is boiling, break 12 graham crackers into bite-sized pieces.  Put in a large bowl with the popcorn and marshmallows.

4.  When sugar mixture has reached 270 degrees, stir in vanilla.

5.  Pour over popcorn, graham crackers, and marshmallows.  Stir until everything  is coated in the caramel.

6.  Pour caramel covered popcorn mixture onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

7.  Allow caramel to harden and then break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container.