S'mores Bars.

Isn't it amazing how much can change in so little time?  Today is America's birthday, the 4th of July.  It's a beautiful summer day here and I can only hope the rest of the summer will be as nice.  But how do you embrace the beauty of things you love when you and the one you love have decided to take some time to be apart?  It hurts too much to even think about going about normal day-to-day right now, but there must be ways to cope.

This is how I cope.  I bake.  I bake things with chocolate and gooey marshmallows and comforting graham crackers.  Of course, these just also happen to be perfect for the 4th of July since they ARE s'mores, after all.  I realize by the time this recipe goes up, no one will see it before their celebrations, but I promise they're still amazing any time, anywhere, anyhow.

  
S'mores Bars
Adapted from Another Cup Of Sugar by Anna Olson
14 to 18 whole graham crackers
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
About 2 1/2 cups semi-sweet (or milk) chocolate chips or chunks
3 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray an 8x8" or 9x9" pan with baking spray and layer about 4 1/2 graham cracker halves over the bottom of the pan.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in the brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract and graham cracker crumbs and spread half of this mixture over the graham cracker layer.  Sprinkle with about 1/3 of the chocolate chips, then half the marshmallows.  Top with another layer of whole graham cracker halves, then the rest of the butter mixture.  Sprinkle another 1/3 of the chocolate chips on top, the rest of the marshmallows and then finish with the rest of the chocolate chips on top.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the marshmallows are golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  These keep in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.  But I guarantee they won't last that long :)

 

I'm off to help devour some Caribbean jerk barbecue chicken, boiled salt potatoes, cole slaw, cold juicy watermelon and these s'mores bars with my family.  I hope everyone out there has a great holiday and here's hoping to a soothing and therapeutic summer.