You don’t need to wait for summertime to enjoy these s’mores! A thick, chewy graham cracker cookie bar serves as the foundation for your favorite chocolate and lightly toasted gooey marshmallows. All the yum, none of the fuss!
We’ve had our emergency bags packed for a week now, but we’re the lucky ones by far. This whole ordeal with the LA wildfires has felt eerily reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic: Office and school closures, masks everywhere, county-wide emergency notifications–a whole lot of confusion about whether to stay put or just hightail it out of the city as fast as you can.
Of course, living in a part of town that currently boasts blue skies and golden sunshine just makes it all feel a little surreal. We’ve found ways to donate to those in need and reached out to our friends & coworkers, some of whom were under evacuation orders or without power or worried for their children and pets or a million other things. Meanwhile, I’ve swung between bouts of extreme guilt and thankfulness to be spending most of the past week safely indoors, catching up on little chores here and there that I’ve put off since we moved into this new home over a year ago.
This long weekend, we had plans to visit a friend’s forest cabin a few hours away and enjoy some cozy time away nursing some hot teas, or maybe toasting some campfire s’mores. Of course, we immediately canceled after the wildfires erupted, and I somehow found myself at home throwing together this cake or that curry in my final bid for normalcy. These S’mores Bars were born of that frenzy: A thick, chewy graham cracker cookie base smothered with melted chocolate and the familiar, reassuring toastiness of marshmallows.
Because in the midst of all the loss, grief, terrible stories, and catastrophe–strangely enough, the thing that brings me the most comfort is being in the kitchen. I’ve cooked and baked more in this last week than I have in the past year, finding pockets of joy in the almost-forgotten ability to transform several cups of this or that into a warm meal or loaf of cake. I know I can only say this because we’re so incredibly lucky to be safe right now, but I’ve missed this feeling of creating new things and devouring how slowly time passes when I’m at home day in, day out.
It’s funny how many of us don’t make time for ourselves until someone, or something, else makes it for them. I only wish the circumstances were vastly different, and I’m so heartbroken for everyone across LA who has lost something–or everything–this week.
I’m sending out this blog post today as a voice of gratitude: For all the heartfelt check-in messages from loved ones, for the outpouring of support our community has shown for those most affected, for the first responders keeping us and our homes safe. If you’re looking for ways to give, you can find some local relief organizations to support here.
With love and care during this challenging time,
S'mores Bars
You don't need to wait for summert to enjoy s'mores! A thick, chewy graham cracker cookie bar serves as the foundation for your favorite chocolate and lightly toasted gooey marshmallows. All the yum, none of the fuss! Graham cracker cookie layer lightly adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.
Ingredients
For the graham cracker cookie base:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (finely crushed)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teapspoon sa!t
For the chocolate layer:
- 4 (1.55 oz.) Hershey's dark chocolate bars--or your favorite chocolate!
For the marshmallow layer:
- 16-20 jumbo marshmallows
Instructions
To make graham cracker cookie base:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bow,, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 23-27 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Remove from oven.
To assemble chocolate & marshmallow layers:
- Unwrap chocolate bars and lay them flat on the still-warm graham cracker cookie base, breaking off pieces as needed to fit evenly in pan. Return pan to oven for 2-3 minutes, until chocolate is slightly melted and looks glossy. Remove from oven.
- Place marshmallows in an even layer on top of chocolate. Return pan to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. Watch your bars carefully! Every oven varies, and you don't want to give your marshmallows the chance to overbake. I removed mine from the oven once the marshmallows were soft and pretty gooey, with very lightly toasted edges.
- Allow your bars to cool completely before cutting. They will be very gooey, so I recommend running a knife until hot water and quickly drying it before making each slice. Repeat as needed.
Notes
If you prefer a toastier marshmallow layer, you can alternatively broil your marshmallow-topped treats rather than baking them. But beware! They will broil VERY quickly (in 1-3 minutes) and explode if you're not careful, so only go this route if you feel 100% up for watching them super carefully!
