S'mores Ice Cream

How do you make s'mores ice cream, you ask? You begin with the vanilla ice cream, flavored with extra sugar for that 'marshmallowy' taste and texture. Then make some chocolate ice cream, flavor it with a little liquid smoke, and swirl it through. If you really want some more s'more flavor and texture - add some graham cracker pieces or crumbs. 

S'mores

S'mores was another action station at the golf club tournament. It consisted of marshmallow roasted on site in a smoker, warm milk chocolate sauce, warm caramel sauce, and graham cracker crumbs. Delicious and sweet! This was certainly a popular station.

Chocolate Crispy Christmas Squares

This is a spin on the traditional crisp rice cereal squares. Extra texture comes from the addition of oats and coconut. The squares are given a holiday theme by using colored shredded coconut and crisp rice cereal, both are available in red, green, and white colored mixes for the holidays. Of course you can use regular as well, especially if it isn't Christmas time. These squares also have a mellow chocolate flavor. 

Chocolate Crispy Christmas Squares
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup shredded, colored coconut
1 1/2 cups Christmas crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press evenly into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Let stand briefly to firm up before cutting. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Confetti Squares

Chocolate Peanut Butter Confetti Squares
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 packages (250 grams or 8 ounces each) miniature multi-colored marshmallows

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips until melted. Allow to cool until bottom of pan is cool enough to handle, then stir in the marshmallows.
Pack mixture evenly into a 9x13 inch rectangular pan lined with foil. Cool, then refrigerate and store in the fridge for easier cutting and storage.

These may not look like much from the photo, but they are a really quick, easy, and tasty square recipe. They are no-bake, and come together and are ready to eat in merely minutes. The pleasing flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow are popular among youngsters. You could always use white marshmallows, the squares just won't have that 'confetti' appearance. These squares really remind me of the squares our neighbors used to send us over every year at Christmastime. They were essentially the same, but used butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips, giving a slightly different but rich flavor. Though never something I would have though of making myself, I greatly looked forward to receiving these squares every year. I finally decided to make a similar square recipe myself, for others. Similarly, you may use all chocolate chips of any type, all butterscotch chips, a mixture of the two, or even peanut butter chips. 

Crispy Peanut Mallow Bars

I had four small amounts of slightly random ingredients in my cupboard that were staring me in the face and needed to be used up. Luckily, I came across a recipe that incorporated all four of them: graham cracker crumbs, marshmallows, peanuts, and crisp rice cereal. These bars are easy to make, and taste sort of like a type of chocolate bar - they are not too sweet and can be cut as big or as small as you wish. Just make sure they are chilled when you cut them, and they cut very easily. They will hold up at room temperature for serving. 

Crispy Peanut Mallow Bars
CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 large egg, beaten
TOPPING
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup golden corn syrup
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup peanuts (I used whole, lightly salted)
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with foil and grease foil. Preheat oven to 350◦F.
CRUST: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, crumbs, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add the butter and egg. Mix well until combined. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes. 
TOPPING: While crust is baking, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter until smooth. Stir in the cereal and nuts.
Sprinkle marshmallows over hot crust and return to oven for two minutes until puffed. Spread evenly with a knife to cover crust. Spoon topping over top and spread evenly. Cool squares, then chill for several hours until firm before cutting. 

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Peanut Squares." Recipe. Chocolate Squared, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2009. 4.

Choco Marshmallow Cereal Trees

This chocolate marshmallow treat could not be simpler and faster to make! Only four ingredients that all get mixed together and formed. No baking or pans required. It is not exactly a Christmas recipe, but was turned into one sort of by mistake. As with many icebox cookie doughs as well, which are chilled in a log then sliced to bake, when you roll it into a log, it doesn't always stay perfectly round, especially while resting on a refrigerator shelf. Sometimes this can be overcome by placing the dough in a paper tube, such as an empty paper towel roll, but some doughs are thicker than that. So in this case, when my mother took the log out of the fridge after chilling, it was not a perfectly round log. It was a bit trickier to form this into a round log since it is cereal treats and not a dough, so it turned out to be sort of triangular shaped. No problem here, now the slices simply look like Christmas trees! Especially since the marshmallows seem to end up one the inside of the log, so they look like little ornaments. See, sometimes mistakes are awesome! 

Choco Marshmallow Cereal Trees
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups crisp rice cereal

Mix all ingredients together. Turn mixture onto waxed paper and shape into a log, approximately eighteen inches long. Wrap tightly and chill for at least one hour, until firm, before slicing. 

The types of chocolate may be varied, additional chocolate chips or chopped nuts may be mixed in with the cereal, and the form may be varied - try putting it in a pan like squares, rolling into balls, eating as is, or making trees!

Marshmallow Frosting

I decided to try this marshmallow frosting as something different from the typical buttercream frosting I use, and also because I thought it might be quicker and easier. It didn't really save much time and effort, and I wasn't really impressed with it. Personally I could eat buttercream by the spoonful, and I'm not a huge marshmallow fan, but there isn't anything wrong with how the frosting tastes. The consistency isn't great though. It is certainly sticky just like marshmallows, and is either too thin and drippy, or too thick. The frosting must be worked with quickly, as it hardens fast. Therefore, the thinned out frosting is great for a shiny appearance for cookies and such, and the thicker version is stiff so stands up great to piping. However, I definitely would not recommend using this frosting to spread and try to frost an entire cake. I also think a cake frosted entirely with this frosting would be a bit sickly sweet as well.

Marshmallow Frosting
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, cut into pieces
6 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl melt the marshmallows and butter on HIGH (100%) power for about 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Heat for longer if necessary. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the water and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add a little extra sugar or water as necessary for desired consistency. This will make a fairly thick frosting, great for piping. For a smooth, spreadable frosting add a little extra water.

Nerd Cupcakes

Here are some cupcakes I made for two friends of mine who share the same birthday. They are both nerds, and wouldn't be insulted if I said that, and they both wear similarly-styled, large, black-rimmed glasses. Therefore, these cupcakes are decorated with orange and blue Nerds candies, and glasses. To make the glasses, I first printed off the outlines of many of these glasses on a piece of paper. I placed a piece of waxed paper over this. Then I simply melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips, put them in a plastic bag, and piped the outlines of the glasses through the waxed paper. This could be done free-hand as well, as it isn't a very difficult shape to do. Some turned out better than others, but the form is really a sideways eight, an infinity sign, or two circles. I put these in the refrigerator briefly to harden, then peeled them off the paper. 

The cupcakes are a confetti mix, which my friend baked. The frosting is a new recipe I tried. I stepped away from my classic buttercream and tried a marshmallow frosting. This recipe I will share tomorrow. I piped it on the cupcakes using my large open star tip, which is really easy and makes one simple, pretty swirl. Then I sprinkled the candies over top, which tended to roll everywhere, except stick to the frosting! I stuck a pair of glasses in each. I really like how the fancy cupcake wrappers match the colors of the candies. 

Marshmallow Reese Blondies

Marshmallow Reese Blondies
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup candy-coated chocolates (or peanut butter flavored)
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan. 
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter. Cream in the sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Sir in the baking powder and salt, and 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir in another 1/2 cup flour, then the last of the flour until well blended. Stir in the chips and candies. 
Press half of the batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with marshmallows. Carefully drop the remaining batter over top and try to spread as evenly as possible. It's fine if there are a few gaps. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden. 

These are some pretty sweet, pretty flavorful delicious cookie-like squares. The peanut butter flavor is not strong, but could be stronger if peanut butter candies are used. The marshmallow filling could be omitted as well, for some yummy peanut butter candy cookie bars. Milk chocolate chips would probably work well too. 

Heavenly Hash Brownies

These heavenly hash brownie squares should be reminiscent of the ice cream flavor. Contrarily  they are delicious warm from the oven, so make a great winter alternative to a summer treat. I actually left out the almonds, so it is more like simply marshmallow brownies, and not true heavenly hash, but still gooey, chocolaty, and delicious!

Heavenly Hash Brownies
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour, divided
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the butter and cocoa until smooth. Beat in sugar, then eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
Add 3/4 of the flour and quickly stir for a few strokes. Then sprinkle chips, nuts, marshmallows, then remaining flour on top and mix until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes. 

S'more Bars with Caramel Drizzle

S'more Bars with Caramel Drizzle
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can (14 ounces/350mL) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
caramel sauce, to drizzle, optional
additional milk chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, or chopped chocolate, optional

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Melt the butter and pour it in a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan, tilting to coat pan.
Sprinkle the graham crumbs over top and press down.
Pour the milk in an even layer over the crumbs.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over evenly.
Sprinkle the marshmallows on top.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and drizzle with caramel sauce, then sprinkle on additional chocolate chips.

This is a really quick and easy recipe - no mixing bowl involved! They aren't exactly like s'more bars, but similar. I added the caramel drizzle on top for a little extra garnish and to make them a bit more special, but it is completely optional. You can use purchased or homemade, I will share my go-to recipe tomorrow. Be sure to cut these before refrigerating, as they will become pretty firm. They are probably better stored at room temperature, but can be refrigerated to firm up a bit after cutting. 

Coconut Marshmallow Mud Cake

This Coconut Marshmallow Mud Cake is a favorite dessert of my brother's, and loved by the entire family, it is a specialty of my mother. It's also a special treat because it seems elaborate (though really isn't), and we don't get to have it very often, it was always reserved for special occasions. We refer to it as Mississippi Mud Pie, though it isn't really a pie, and I'm not sure how Mississippi is involved. Nevertheless, it is chocolaty, fudgey, and deep, rich, and delicious. Even if you are not a fan of one of the ingredients, such as coconut, nuts, or marshmallows, you will appreciate them and what they contribute to this dessert! The photo doesn't do this dessert the justice it deserves. Here is the process:

LAYER #1
A rich, fudgey chocolate brownie layer baked in a 9x13 inch pan. Contains cocoa, shredded coconut and chopped nuts, if desired.

LAYER #2
A jar of marshmallow fluff is spread over the base as soon as it comes out of the oven.

LAYER #3
A rich chocolate icing is dolloped over the marshmallow fluff while the brownies are still warm. 
The icing can be spread in a single, smooth layer over the marshmallow fluff, but this is quite difficult to achieve. As an alternative, the icing may be swirled with the marshmallow with the top of a butter knife, as if making a marble cake or cheesecake. We much prefer the latter option, as not only is is easier, but we think the swirls of chocolate and marshmallow look really pretty too!

Serving options:

• We have never tried them warm from the oven. My guess is they would be delicious but extremely messy, soft, and difficult to cut.
• Allow them to cool to room temperature, then try. Still messy but not quite as bad.
• Refrigerate them until firm, and enjoy cold. Much easier to cut.
• These should be stored in the fridge, but allow to come to room temperature before serving.
• Take a square straight from the fridge and reheat it in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds. It warms the brownie and melts the topping a little, without being too messy. This is my favorite way to eat them!

Hot Chocolate Brownies

Hot Chocolate Brownies
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips, divided
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups all-purpose (white) flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, melt the butter and 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Let cool slightly. Stir in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa, salt, and 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brownies begin to show signs of pulling away from edges. 
Sprinkle with marshmallows and remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 5 more minutes. 

These are absolutely delicious warm but very messy. Though I stress that most squares, especially fudgey brownies, taste best at room temperature you may wish to refrigerate these to firm up so they are a bit less messy, especially in warmer whether. These are named as so because they are very chocolaty, warm, and are topped with marshmallows - just like a cup of hot chocolate! 

 "Hot Chocolate Brownies.” http://www.robinhood.ca/recipedetails.aspx?rid=4654 . RobinHood, n.d. Monday, February 25, 2013.

Saucepan Brownies

I have been wanting to make these brownies for a while now, and I finally had all of the ingredients to do it! The recipe states this is a good recipe for those days when it is just too hot to even think about turning on the oven. That wasn't the case here, but it did make this brownie recipe really quick and easy. I am certainly glad I finally made these brownies as they are delicious  I think I might even like them better than my master brownie recipe. They are extremely rich and chocolatey, almost more like chocolate fudge. They contain marshmallows, and although I am not  a huge marshmallow fan, the marshmallows kind of just melt into the brownie and add to the richness. These are a must try!

Saucepan Brownies
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grease an 8x8 inch (I used 9x9 inch) pan or line with waxed paper or parchment paper.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the chips and milk. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in prepared pan. Top with reserved chocolate mixture. Chill until set.

The measurements of all of these ingredients need not be exact, it won't make much of a difference. Also, if you forget or don't want to bother setting aside some chocolate for the topping, it really doesn't matter too much. These squares are forgiving, and tasty nonetheless!

Ooey Gooey Chewy Cookie Bars

Ooey Gooey Chewy Cookie Bars
CRUST
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter or hard margarine (1/2 stick)
TOPPING
2 cups milk chocolate chips
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups flaked or shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
1 cup chopped nuts (I left them out)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
(I used a 300mL can, although 14 ounces is actually equivalent to 414 mL)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Spray or line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan.
CRUST: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Drizzle the melted butter over, mixing with a fork until mixture forms small beads. Press into prepared pan.
TOPPING: Sprinkle ingredients in order given over crust, ending with the milk being poured over as evenly as possible. Bake for about 25 minutes. These cut well warm or room temperature, but do not refrigerate them before cutting, they will be too solid (actually, just don't refrigerate them at all).

This recipe came from another one of my funny cooking novels. These bars certainly are ooey, gooey, and chewy. They have a little bit of everything for everyone. Even if you aren't a fan of one of these ingredients, they all tie together very nicely to make a sweet and delicious square, with plenty of chocolate. The crust is also very nice, and holds all of the toppings nicely. These are also so quick to make and require very little prep work.

Fluke, Joanne. "Ooey Gooey Chewy Cookie Bars." Recipe. Cherry Cheesecake Murder, New York: Kensington, 2006. 364-366.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie is a special occasion dish my mother had been making since I was very young. It is my brother's absolute favorite dessert. It remains quite special and such a treat in the family because we don't have it very often. It is a bit of an expensive dish to make, as it contains four eggs, coconut, chopped nuts (although we often leave them out), marshmallow, chocolate icing, and lots of butter. Besides, if we had it often, it would lose its specialty. I am not sure where the name came from, I don't know if the dish originated in Mississippi or not, but it actually isn't really a pie at all. It is much more like a cake. In a 9x13 inch pan, a chocolate cake, adorned with shredded coconut and chopped nuts, is baked. Then, when still warm, it is spread with a jar of marshmallow fluff, which immediately melts on top of the hot cake. Then it is iced with a chocolate frosting, which also melts a little bit. The marshmallow and frosting layers are then swirled together to make an attractive looking top. A bonus of this dessert is that it is simple to make, just a basic cake batter and two toppings swirled together, and it is also fairly quick because you do not have to wait for the cake to cool. My mother and I quickly whipped up this cake together this morning. This cake is absolutely delicious, with the predominant flavor being chocolate, but with pleasant overtones of marshmallow and coconut. These flavors all pair together perfectly, so even if you aren't a fan of marshmallow or coconut in particular, you will enjoy them in this dessert. The cake is kept in the refrigerator, and is delicious cold, but just a few years ago we discovered a new trick. If you heat individual slices in the microwave for just 20-30 seconds, the marshmallow begins to melt, the icing turns into a lovely ganache, and the cake softens. It takes the entire dessert to a whole new level!

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

The ultimate combination again: chocolate and peanut butter! This is what is referred to as "cheaters' fudge" because it is not boiled to a certain pouring stage as indicated on a candy thermometer. The recipe comes from my Hershey's Recipe Collection recipe binder. Although this fudge is boiled and not made in the microwave, it is a very quick boil, that need not be completely accurate in time. Also, after the boiling process, marshmallows are melted into the fudge to give it the characteristic fudge texture. It is a fairly easy recipe that makes very good fudge. This fudge has a perfect texture, not too soft and not crumbly, with a smooth, rich taste. I cut some of my fudge into fun shapes. Because this fudge is fairly high, I cut it in half horizontally before using cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. This way, the fudge is not too thick and is easier to cut. These shapes make the fudge more visually appealing. The only problem with this is there will be more scraps of fudge leftover. Not good for serving, but excellent for nibbling! This fudge is very tasty, and the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter marry together perfectly.

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch square baking with foil, butter foil.
In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, then boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients until melted and smooth. Transfer to prepared pan. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm. Cut into pieces. Store in a cool, dry place, tightly covered. Makes about 1 3/4 pounds. 

West Side Publishing. "Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 246.

S'more Pull Aparts

Here is an intriguing recipe I came across in a bread recipe booklet. Since there was some leftover cottage cheese from our lasagna supper, I decided to make these S'more Pull Aparts which interestingly use 3/4 cup of cottage cheese. The cottage cheese keeps these rolls, similar to cinnamon rolls, incredibly moist and tender. The dough also uses buttermilk, and can easily be mixed up in a food processor. The dough is then kneaded briefly, spread with melted butter, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs, milk chocolate chips, and ground cinnamon. Once rolled up and cut, the twelve rolls are placed in a springform pan, brushed with more melted butter, and baked for 20 minutes. Then they are sprinkled with miniature marshmallows and more chocolate chips and baked for 5-10 more minutes. The only change I would suggest is to use a bit less graham cracker crumbs and more chocolate chips, but that's just my personal taste! The dough is very nice and easy to work with, easy to cut too, although a little bit of the filling may seep out. A very yummy way to enjoy a different twist on s’mores in the off-season, while enjoying a cinnamon roll too!

S'more Pull Aparts

¾ cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups white all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

FILLING

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

¾ cup milk chocolate chips

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

TOPPING

1 ¼ cups miniature marshmallows

¼ cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla, process until very smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients, pulse together just until dough looks like a mass of small beads, beginning to clump together (I mixed the cottage cheese, buttermilk, and butter in the food processor, but did the rest by hand, as my food processor was not large enough).

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for one minute until smooth. Roll dough out to a 12x15-inch rectangle.

Brush surface with two tablespoons of the melted butter, leaving a ½ inch border all around. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and two tablespoons of melted butter, sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and cinnamon.

Starting at long end, roll up dough jelly roll style, pinch seam to seal. Cut dough into twelve equal-sized pieces with a serrated knife. Arrange in prepared pan. Brush with remaining melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes, then unmold. Serve warm, or reheat in the microwave.

 "Easy S'mores Pull Aparts.” http://www.robinhood.ca/recipedetails.aspx?rid=4891. Robin Hood, n.d. Friday, November 18, 2011.