S is for S'Mores

I don't camp. 

I don't camp, I don't camp, I don't camp.

Besides the sleeping in tents (and a camper is only a tad bit better than a tent) and the bathroom facilities and the perpetual need for ice for the cooler, other campers expect you to make s'mores and eat them.

I know it's very un-American to say this, but I can't stand s'mores. (I believe it is well established that I am a picky eater, as evidenced in I is for Inedible, and that's just the tip of the iceberg, baby!) I like toasted marshmallows. I like graham crackers. I like chocolate. I do not like them smashed all together, hot, gooey marshmallow squishing out all over my fingers, chocolate all over my face. 

Note: for those who are not familiar with s'mores, they were developed by campers in the early 20th century as an easy to fix treat with ingredients that were easy to pack. In the late 1920's, the Girl Scouts of America included a recipe for them in their cookbook, thereby taking a lot of the credit for their popularity. The secret (not) recipe (not) is toast one marshmallow over the campfire. Lay a square of Hershey's chocolate bar on a square of graham cracker, put the toasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate, and top with a second graham cracker square. The name is a derivation of "some more," which you are allegedly supposed to want after eating the first one. I think "no'mores" is a more apt description.

In an odd twist to this, I have a favorite recipe that I am going to share with you. It is called S'Mores Bars, and they taste NOTHING like a s'more, which is a blessed relief, if you ask me. There are no graham crackers. There are marshmallows, but you don't have to toast them first. There is chocolate. And there is no need to be forced to camp and use a campfire to make them, because they just get baked in an oven LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR FOOD.

S'MORE BARS

1-1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. butter or margerine, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2-1/4 c. flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. miniature marshmallows
2 c. chocolate chips*

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Spread half the dough in a greased 9x13 pan (I like to use a glass dish). This is best done with your fingers. Sprinkle evenly with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Spread remaining dough over top (again, you will need to use your fingers to do this, as "spread" isn't really the right word for the process).

Bake at 350F degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into bars while still warm. Thank me later.

*The original recipe calls for using Hershey bars instead of chocolate chips, but who has Hershey bars lying around the house? Someone in my house will sniff them out and eat them before I get a chance to use them in a recipe. I have used both semi-sweet chips AND milk chocolate chips (because my husband bought the wrong ones), and both are delicious.

Mixing dry ingredients into creamed ingredients.
Note the sugar spilled on the counter,
because that's how I roll.

And now it's dough.

Put half the dough in the pan. Sprinkle a little flour
onto the dough, then use your fingers to
smush it all over the bottom of the pan....

...until it looks like this.

Sprinkle evenly with the marshmallows and
chocolate chips. Ignore the upside down
picture. Technical difficulties.

Pat the remaining dough on top of the
marshmallows and chocolate chips.
It's okay if they are not completely covered
with the dough; it will spread as it bakes.

Naturally, you should eat some
of the cookie dough while
lamenting the sad state of your hair.

See? Golden brown!

Ahhh! Now, cut these while they are warm. Just trust me on this;
you do NOT want to wait until the marshmallows set back up.

Don't you wish this were Wonkavision,
and you could reach out, take this off the
screen, and gobble it up?