Epic smore bars

i had been dyinggg to make my own marshmallows, but what do you do with a pound of homemade marshmallows?


hmmm...a definite possibility


genius

when my latest issue of martha stewart came in the mail with a marshmallow cookie sandwich recipe i was effing pumped. not only did this prove that the telepathic messages i was sending martha worked, but i don't think i have ever been so excited to try a new recipe.


martha stewart used to be hot

this recipe was a lot of work. i would make these over the course of three days. alternatively you can take shortcuts and sub in store bought ingredients. i did this in one shot and it was the baking equivalent of running a marathon. not that i've ever run one.


it's a no-brainer kids

okay, without further ado here is the recipe!

epic smore bars
or as martha calls them, marshmallow cookie sandwiches (yawn)



come onnnn...make the graham crackers from scratch. they are so much better than store bought ones :)

cinnamon and sugar graham crackers



ingredients
bakes 18; enough for 9 cookie sandwiches.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
3/4 cup graham or whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg

directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.



beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.





mix in egg.



add flour mixture, and mix to combine.

divide dough in half. roll out each dough half to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. alternatively, don't divide the dough in half like i did...haha


the dough will be sticky, so dust with plenty of flour

refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. cut out eighteen 2 1/2-inch-square crackers, using a fluted cookie cutter or a knife. i used a note card cut into a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square as a guide. i lightly traced the squares onto the dough.



i then used a fluted knife to cut the squares.



hmmm....they don't look like graham crackers! punch holes into the dough and lightly trace a dividing line. martha neglects to do this...bad martha, bad.



transfer to baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart.



bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.



transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool.

how to assemble epic smores bars



ingredients
makes 9

vegetable oil cooking spray, for pan
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (about 2 tablespoons)
2/3 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
coarse salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
confectioners' sugar, for cutting
9 store-bought graham crackers, split in half, or 18 homemade graham cookies.
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 cup salted, roasted peanuts, chopped

directions
coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment. sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup water in the bowl of a mixer; let stand for 5 minutes.



heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, remaining 1/3 cup water, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.




ummm...let's hope this is what 238 degrees looks like..haha

whisk gelatin in mixer on low speed, adding syrup in a slow, steady stream down side of bowl. gradually increase speed to high, until almost tripled in volume, about 8 minutes.



whisk in vanilla.



transfer to baking pan.


woahhhh



smooth top.



let stand until set, at least 3 hours.

cut out nine 2 1/2-inch square marshmallows using a cookie cutter or a knife dipped in confectioners' sugar.

dip surface of crackers into chocolate to coat, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.


i melted chocolate chips using a water bath






refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. sandwich marshmallows between crackers, chocolate sides in.





dip half of each sandwich into chocolate, on the diagonal; sprinkle with peanuts, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

if you have leftover chocolate, dip some strawberries in it!



refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.



told you they were epic :O

til next time folks!