Everyone has their own way of enjoying toasted marshmallows. It’s very much a personal thing… this I understand.
I like my roasted, toasted marshmallows extra crispy… extra well done. I want that sucker on the end of the misshapen close hanger, stuck right into the depths of the fire. I want it to come out flaming. That’s right, I’m a marshmallow torch girl.
Apparently, the marshmallow torch is not how you make friends at all-girl sleep away camp. I would always get groans of disapproval from the girls that were trying to keep their precious marshmallows just far enough away from the orange coals to perfectly toast them. Maybe they were less than thrilled with my marshmallow torch because I usually managed to set at least one of their darling marshmallows on fire just out of sheer proximity. I considered it a favor. Them..? Not so much.
But these brownies aren’t really about my summer camp misadventures, are they? These S’mores Brownies are more about fudgy, dense chocolate that bakes up with graham cracker bits and toasted marshmallows. Toasted, not torched.
There are few things quite as spectacular as a pan of warm brownies just about 15 minutes out of the oven. With their slightly crackled top and perfectly chewy chocolate center, brownies are a simple pleasure. These S’mores Brownies are simply an improvement on something that didn’t really need much fussing with. The result is a marshmallow topped brownie that’s so good, you might find ways to rationalize a big hunk for breakfast. Chocolate can be breakfast too. Life is entirely too short not to make a S’mores Brownie breakfast from time to time.
S’mores Brownies
adapted from Bon Appetit, October 1991
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
- 12 big marshmallows (I also diced 6 additional marshmallows and stirred them into the batter. These marshmallows dissolve when baked, so you can leave them out, or throw them in. Up to you!)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a medium sized bowl over a heavy saucepan of simmering water. Stir chocolate and butter in this double boiler until melted and smooth.
Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers. Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 12 large marshmallows. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes minutes.
Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool. Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky. Serve or wrap individually in wax paper for storing.
Marcia
Made these brownies for coworkers. I followed the recipe except I used vanilla paste as that’s what I had on hand and baked in a 9×13 pan. I can definitely see where a 9×9 would be too small as the 9×13 was pretty full. I baked in a glass dish in a gas stove for 36 minutes and they were perfectly cooked through. I checked at the 30 min mark and they were still very underdone so it was really just the extra 6 minutes that it needed. They were thick but still very light. I let them cool for several hours and they cut up beautifully. I didn’t eat any but the reviews I received were very positive – some mentioning the richness of the chocolate and other liked the texture. I’ll be keeping this recipe pinned. Thank you, Joy! Your recipes are always a pleasure to work with.