S’mores Brownies

Who doesn’t love s’mores? They’re easy and delicious and made with fire. FIRE!

I’ve even made s’mores using hotel rooms fireplaces while on vacation, but that’s a story for another time. (Photographic evidence to the right. Shhhh…)

I had been on the lookout for a great s’mores-inspired recipe for quite some time before finding one I actually wanted to try. I wanted cupcakes or brownies that contained actual marshmallows, and believe it or not, that was hard to find until this brownie recipe.

Good ol’ campfire s’mores have three ingredients: chocolate, graham crackers, and a marshmallow. These brownies naturally have a few more ingredients, but don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy.

Butter and chocolate are first melted in a large saucepan on low heat until they’re nice and smoooooth.

The saucepan is removed from the stovetop and the rest of the ingredients are whisked in. First in are the granulated and light brown sugars. After that comes some eggs, vanilla extract, and a bit of salt.

Did I mention the brownie batter is made in one large saucepan? That’s right, no mixer required! So, right into the same saucepan goes some cake flour and a few tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Rather than having the graham crackers on the outside of the chocolate awesomeness, these brownies have the graham crackers mixed right in.

Time to bake!

This part is the only time I deviated from the recipe. See, I ended up making these twice because I didn’t like how they turned out the first time.

The original recipe recommends topping the batter with 12 regular sized marshmallows and baking for 30-35 minutes. This resulted in practically liquidized marshmallows that seeped into the brownies and left them über gooey and impossible to test for doneness. I was worried the brownies weren’t baked through, even after adding another 15 minutes to the baking time. No good.

So, here’s what I did instead! I baked the brownies for 20 minutes and THEN added the 12 marshmallows to the top and baked for another 10 minutes. I decided I wanted some more marshmallow action, so I came back AGAIN with some minis marshmallows (to fill in the nooks and crannies) and baked for another 5. Total baking time was 35 minutes and they were perfect.

See? Perfect, I tell ya!

These fudgy brownies have to cool completely and then you can slice and dice them. It’s helpful to use a very sharp knife and wipe it off between slices because the marshmallow is sticky.

Enjoy!

S’mores Brownies
Adapted from Home Baked Comfort, by Kim Laidlaw
Makes 24 brownies

1 cup unsalted butter
10 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups cake flour
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
6-8 whole graham crackers, broken into small pieces
12 regular size marshmallows
30 mini marshmallows (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Or, line the inside of the pan with foil for easier brownie removal later.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often until both are melted and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the granulated and light brown sugars. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.

Sift the flour and cocoa over the chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir just until blended. Gently in crushed graham crackers. Pour the batter into the 9 by 13 inch baking pan, spreading evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes, top with 12 regular sized marshmallows, and return the pan to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. If using mini marshmallows as well, sprinkle them over the brownies after the regular marshmallows have baked for 10 minutes.

Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean, 30-35 minutes total. Cool and cut into squares.