Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars

Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars

Here's the last recipe peeps. And I definitely saved the best for last. I can't tell y'all how much we loved these over-the-top brownies. I mean we had like 4 each after dinner, and probably one for breakfast every day since. Don't judge us, we know that's not good. We get it. But they are just too damn delicious. I have seen a lot of recipes before for s'more brownies, so it's been on my to-do list for a while. Like, I've kinda been obsessing about it. But, I wanted to wait for the Summer because that's when s'mores are the best! Well, when Memorial Day came last week, I knew this was the perfect time to make 'em. And they are glorious. I first made some homemade graham crackers, and then ground them up into graham cracker crumbs. I just love homemade graham crackers, they have a crispier texture which gives the crust the best crunch. But, as always, feel free to substitute with store-bought graham cracker crumbs for a much easier assembly. The next layer included my favorite recipe for brownies. I love homemade brownies, they are way better than the box. These brownie layers are so gooey and moist, but they have a very special filling inside. What is it you ask? A thick layer of melty milk chocolate that perfectly mimics the hershey chocolate from classic s'mores. Finally, I topped my brownies with a homemade vanilla bean marshmallow. The marshmallow topped is then toasted until golden brown, making them positively crave-worthy. I used my favorite recipe for this layer, which I posted last summer. The only thing is that it does make a lot of marshmallows, so you can either make two pans of these brownies and split the marshmallow evenly between two pans, and that would make enough for a large cookout or party with family & friends. But, if you don't want to do that, you can do what I did and pour half of the marshmallow pan and make classic marshmallows for s'mores later on the week. So, if you want go that route, then go to this recipe and follow the directions for preparing the pan.  I still can't get over how much we loved these Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars. And I know that I will definitely be making these for our 4th of July party, as well as my favorite new recipe for the best southern banana pudding ever. You can have two major desserts on the 4th right? YES. Absolutely, unequivocally, undoubtedly yes. I seriously recommend these to anyone & everyone. They are soooooooo worth the work y'all!! Enjoy :)

OMG-Holy-Toasted-Marshmallow-Topping-Y'all 

yummy layers...

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust, Melty Milk Chocolate Filled Brownies,
& Toasted Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

12T Unsalted Butter, Melted

3C Homemade Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼C Sugar

½t Salt

For the Chocolate Filled-Brownie Layer:

1 ¼C AP Flour

1t Salt

2T Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder

11oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes

1t Instant Espresso Powder

1 ½C Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

5 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

3 6oz Chocolate Candy Bars (Recommended: Hershey or Symphony Brands)  

For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping:

3 ½ Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

1C Cold Water, Divided

2C Sugar

½C Light Corn Syrup

¼t Salt

2 Large Egg Whites,

1t Vanilla

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

Directions:

1. For the Graham Cracker Crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 13x9-baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Set it aside. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until completely incorporated. Press this crumb mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool while you make the brownie batter.
2. For the Chocolate Filled-Brownie Layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, make a double boiler with a pot of boiling water and a glass bowl. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the hot water. Put the chocolate chips, butter, and espresso power and melt together. Once the mixture is melted, take the bowl off the heat and mix in both sugars. Let this mixture come to room temperature before adding the eggs. Add 3 eggs at first and blend together. Then add the other 2 eggs, as well as the vanilla and blend until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture (do not over mix or the brownies will be cakey). Pour half of the brownie batter into the pan with the baked graham cracker crust. Place the three candy bars side-by-side on top of the batter, and then cover with the remaining batter. Bake the brownies for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven (mine was perfectly set and gooey at 35 minutes). Let the brownies cool to room temperature while you make the marshmallow topping.
3. For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping: In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½C cold water, and let stand to soften. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second ½C of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour half of the mixture into the baking pan with the already-baked brownies. Chill the marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day (I poured the other half of the marshmallows into another pan for just plain vanilla bean marshmallows). 
4. Once the marshmallows have set, turn on the broiler of your oven. Toast the marshmallow topping until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Gently remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil and remove the foil. Cut into squares and enjoy.

source: baked brownies. springy, fluffy marshmallows. 

Boozy Bourbon Pecan Pie-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, or even Fall, but I'm itchin' for it to get here. I love everything about Fall. I love the weather, football, tailgatin', festivals, soup, holidays... pretty much anything you can think of. This recipe would be perfect for Thanksgiving, especially in the South :) I mean it's like chocolate pecan pie, but in bar-form... with CHEESECAKE... and BOURBON. I know I know, you can thank me later (just kidding). But these bars are definitely Mountain Man approved. I think any guy would approve of a dessert with bourbon in it. I think my Mountain Man would drink it out of his shoe, I mean he wouldn't really, but maybe. I don't know, probably if he was already liquored up some, but that's besides the point. The bars are soooo yummy. It is a layer of bourbon shortbread, chocolate cheesecake, and bourbon-pecan pie topping. It's just my little twist on a holiday classic. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did :)

Boozy Bourbon Pecan Pie-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

For the Bourbon Shortbread Crust:

1 ¾C AP Flour

Pinch of Salt

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Almost Room Temperature

¼C Gourmet Raw Bourbon Vanilla Sugar

¼C Confectioners’ Sugar

2t Vanilla

1T Bourbon, Heaping (I used Maker’s Mark)   

For the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:

1 ½ Packages (or 12oz total) of Cream Cheese, Softened

¾C Sugar

1t Vanilla

2 Eggs

8oz Semisweet Chocolate, Melted & Cooled

For the Boozy Pecan Pie Filling:

3 Large Eggs

1C Light Corn Syrup

¾C Brown Sugar

¼C Sugar

2T Melted Butter

1T Bourbon

2C Pecans, Toasted & Roughly Chopped

Pinch of Salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. To Make the Bourbon Shortbread Crust: Sift together the flour and salt, and then set aside. Put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a standing mixer and beat them together until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla & bourbon and mix on medium speed until well combined. Finally, with the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture until it is completely incorporated and the dough comes together cleanly off the sides of the bowl. Next, line a 13x9-baking pan with tin foil and spray with Pam, and then press the shortbread dough into the pan in an even layer. Place the pan into the refrigerator and chill the dough for 2 hours. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, make the chocolate cheesecake layer.
2. To Make the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low, mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour the cheesecake batter evenly over the shortbread. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheesecake is partially cooked and starting to set. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes while you make the boozy pecan pie filling.
3. To Make the Boozy Pecan Pie Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and bourbon until well combined. Stir in the pecans. Gently pour the pecan pie filling evenly over the cooled cheesecake layer. Bake the bars until set or for another 25-30 minutes. Once they are slightly set, cool the bars completely in the pan, and then place the bars in the refrigerator to chill for four to six hours.
4. Once the bars have chilled, lift them out of their pan using the tin foil and cut into squares. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!*

Holy Crap Brookie Bars

Before I really started cooking, I could only make two things... chicken parmesan and brookies. I made brookies all the time, especially for long road trips with my soccer friends. They were pretty much a layer of brownie batter, cookie dough, and caramel. I think that's it. And I thought I was just the best baker, hah. Well times have changed and now I could probably teach a dog to make my old brookie recipe. So, I decided the other week that I would bring the brookie back, but with a vengeance. I have dubbed these new brookies as "Holy Crap Brookie Bars" because there are so many different components and layers, I couldn't possibly think of a name that encapsulated all of its loveliness. When Mountain Man actually saw these bars, he said, "Holy Crap!". So, the Holy Crap Brookie Bars were born. Let me play this out for ya... there is a layer of brownie, followed by a layer of double stuff Oreos, that is then drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce, and then topped with cookie dough. It is then baked to golden perfection and covered with a homemade Cookies & Cream White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse (you heard me correctly) and slathered with a dark chocolate ganache. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. These Holy Crap Brookie Bars are just flat-out-riduclous. Enjoy :)

Holy Crap Brookie Bars

Layers of Brownie, Oreo, Caramel, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Mousse,  & Chocolate Ganache

For the Holy Crap Brookies:

1 16.5oz Package of Nestle Toll House Mini Brownie Bite Dough

Double Stuff Oreos (as many as you want or how many you can fit in your pan)

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce*

1 16.5oz Package of Nestle Toll House Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Prepared Cookies & Cream White Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

Prepared Chocolate Ganache Topping

For the Cookies & Cream White Peanut Butter:

10 Whole Oreo Cookies

2C Creamy Peanut Butter

1C White Chocolate Chips

2T Creamy Peanut Butter

For the Cookies & Cream Peanut Butter Mousse:

1C Cookies & Cream Peanut Butter

1 8oz Block of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

1C Powdered Sugar (or a little more to taste... if you like it sweeter or thicker)

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping:

1 ½C Semisweet Chocolate Chunks

½C Heavy Cream

1T Unsalted Butter, Softened 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12x8-baking dish with tin foil and spray with Pam, and then set it aside.
2. To Make the Cookies & Cream Peanut Butter Filling & Mousse: Crush the Oreos into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Add the 2C of peanut butter. Place the white chocolate chips and 2T peanut butter into a double boiled and stir until melted. Add to the bowl of Oreos and peanut butter. Stir just a little so you can see swirls throughout. Once you have made the peanut butter, take 1C of the prepared peanut butter and put it into a large mixing bowl (save the remaining peanut butter for eating or another baking project), along with the cream cheese and vanilla. Beat by hand until smooth and fluffy, and then add in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, and then place the mousse into the refrigerator to chill at least an hour (or until thick, fluffy, and cold) before spreading onto the brownies.
3. To Make the Holy Crap Brookie Bars: Press the brownie dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Top the brownie dough with an even layer of Oreos (as many as you can), and then drizzle with some of the salted caramel sauce (to your liking). Flatten the cookie dough and lay pieces on top of the caramel, so that the cookie dough is completely covering all of the other layers.
4. Bake the brookie bars for 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven, until the cookie dough is golden brown and cooked through. Let the brookies cool completely before spreading on the mousse and chocolate Ganache.
5. To Make the Chocolate Ganache Topping: Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan or in a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat the cream until starts to boil. Pour the cream over the chips and let stand for a minute. Stir well to melt chips; stir in the butter. Let the Ganache cool before spreading on top of the peanut butter mousse. Spread on the cooled Ganache onto the peanut butter mousse & cooled brownies and let it set until slightly hardened.
6. Cut the brookie bars into squares and serve immediately, and keep them refrigerated.

source: ultimate brownie bars. cookies and cream peanut butter.

*You can use store-bought caramel sauce or make homemade caramel sauce. I had left over salted caramel sauce and decided to use that. I really liked how the salt added some depth to the bars. You can refer to this salted caramel sauce recipe that I have used many times. 

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!

Summer Fruit Crostata Bars

I was watching Barefoot Contessa the other day and she made a Summer Fruit Crostata with peaches, plums, and blueberries. I couldn't help but want to make something with that fruit combination. So at the Farmer's Market yesterday, I bought all the fruit and then had to decide what I wanted to make. I didn't want to make a crostata, but something more hand-held. My final decision was to make Summer Fruit Crostata Bars. The bars have a crunchy crust, a smooth fruity filling, and a soft crumbly topping. They taste like southern cobbler, but you can walk around with one in your hand... what's not to love about that?! Well these were perfect as a summer treat and great for a grill out or cook out with friends. I love 'em! Enjoy :)

Summer Fruit Crostata Bars

For the Crust:

2C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder

½t Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Granulated Sugar

¼t Cinnamon

For the Summer Fruit Filling:

2C Fresh Peaches, Diced

2C Ripe Black Plums, Diced

1 ½C Fresh Blueberries

2T Orange Juice

½t Grated Orange Zest

½C AP Flour

1C Granulated Sugar

Pinch of Salt

½t Cinnamon

¼t Nutmeg

For the Crostata Topping:

1 ½C AP Flour

½C Sugar

½t Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt & Cinnamon

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Cold

1 Egg, Lightly Beaten  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9-baking pan with foil and spray the bottom and the sides, and then set aside.
2. To Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. And then, reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined and crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the summer fruit filling.
3. Increase the heat of the oven to 375 degrees.

4. To Make the Crostata Topping: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl and using a pastry blended, cut in the butter. Blend until the dough is crumbly. Set this in the refrigerator until ready to top the bars.

5. To Make the Summer Fruit Filling: Place the diced peaches, plums, and blueberries into a bowl. Toss them with the orange juice and zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour this mixture over the summer fruit and mix gently until all of the fruit is lightly covered in the flour mixture. Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the slightly baked crust. Top the fruit with the refrigerated Crostata topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and the fruit filling is cooked through (depending on your oven).

6. Let the bars cool completely before cutting into the squares (if you can wait that long!)

source: summer fruit crostata. crumb bars. crunchy crust. 

Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!

My Favorite Lemon Bars. Ever.

I love love love lemon bars. They are by far my favorite dessert. They are just so refreshing and not super heavy-tasting, which is not really a good thing for me because that only means I can eat more of them, shucks. Well, this is my favorite recipe for lemon bars (I mean seriously they never fail). They are super tart, but still sweet enough to balance out all of the other flavors. And I love the crunchy crust that gives a nice texture against the gooey-ness of the lemon filling. I recommend these for anyone who loves a bright, lemony flavor. They just make me swoon over and over and over agin. Enjoy... as much as I am right now, yummmmm :)

The Best Lemon Bars. EVER. 

For the Crust:

2C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder

½t Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Sugar

For the Lemon Filling:

6 Extra-Large Eggs, Room Temperature

3C Sugar

2T Grated Lemon Zest

1C Fresh Lemon Juice

1C Flour

Confectioners’ Sugar, For Dusting

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with Pam and set aside.
2. For the Crust, in a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together the softened butter and sugar until creamy about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined and crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
3. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set.
4. Let the bars cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for about 2 hours. Cut into bars and then dust with the confectioners’ sugar, and then enjoy of course... duh!

source: lemon bars. lemon bar crust. 

Gooey Butter Red Velvet Bars

Just a week or so ago, I made Gooey Butter Cake for a friend's birthday. And since the recipe is so... well, idiot-proof, I couldn't keep thinking of all the endless possibilities of this recipe. All you have to do is change out the cake box mix. I ended up to red velvet cake, but I also wanted to do carrot cake, strawberry, and funfetti. So really you can cater this recipe to any birthday, party, or holiday. So, I made Gooey Butter Red Velvet Bars this time. I really liked how I added mini chocolate chips & chocolate sprinkles to it because red velvet cake has cocoa powder in it, but you could easily leave that out. But, I just love this richness of red velvet cake with the gooey-ness of the cream cheese topping. It's just a more decadent form of the famous southern cake, but in bar form. Anyway, the bars were a hit, and I'm thinking that carrot cake will have to be the next one I try. Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Red Velvet Bars

For the Cake:

1 Box of Red Velvet Cake Mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of Butter, Melted

2T Milk

For the Gooey Butter Topping:

8oz Block of Cream Cheese, Softened

2 Eggs, Room Temperature

1 Box of Confectioners’ Sugar

1t Vanilla

½C Mini Chocolate Chips

1C Chocolate Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a pan with Pam, then set aside. 

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, egg, melted butter, and milk until combined. Press the dough into the prepared pan, so that there is an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cake layer.

3. In another mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cake & chocolate chips. Cover the cream cheese layer with the chocolate sprinkles.

4. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until barely set in the middle (do not over bake).

5. Let the cake cool at room temperature for about an hour before cutting, so that the gooey butter topping will set and it will be easier to eat. 

Gooey Butter Birthday Cake

I'm finally back in Savannah (yay) after being in Atlanta for over a month. But while I was home I celebrated my friend's birthday. I was planning on making this decadent cake for her, but I broke my mom's kitchenaid mixer. I don't know exactly how you break a mixer that big, but apparently I wore it out while I was home. So I had to think of another birthday cake to make her that I could easily make by hand. And then I remembered this recipe for a birthday cake that I made for all my friends in middle school and high school. It's so easy and pretty much idiot proof. Also, the great thing about this recipe is that you can change out the cake box for any flavor cake you want. The traditional is yellow cake, but you could easily do chocolate cake or anything you really want, but I definitely want to make it with red velvet cake mix next because with the gooey cream cheese topping, it would just be amazing. So this cake is a super easy recipe that you should keep around for times that you don't have a lot of time to prepare something. It's super decadent and delicious! Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Birthday Cake

For the Cake:

1 Box of Cake Mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of Butter, Melted

2T Milk

For the Gooey Butter Topping:

8oz Block of Cream Cheese, Softened

2 Eggs,

1 Box of Confectioners’ Sugar

1t Vanilla

1C Chocolate Chips

1C Rainbow Sprinkles

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a pan with Pam, then set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, egg, melted butter, and milk until combined. Press the dough into the prepared pan, so that there is an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cake layer.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cake & chocolate chips. Cover the cream cheese layer with the rainbow sprinkles.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until barely set in the middle (do not over bake).
5. Let the cake cool, so that the cream cheese topping thickens and will not be as hard to eat. 

oh-so-gooey

Pink Lemonade Bars

We're finally back from the beach... and we're burnt to a crisp! Anyway, summer is just around the corner, and nothing screams summer more than lemon bars. Lemon bars are just my favorite dessert ever. I just love the tangy lemon filling with the crunchy crust. Another thing I'm obsessed with is pink lemonade, I guess because I'm a five year old, like every time we go out to eat, I have to get pink lemonade if they have it. So I thought wouldn't it be delicious if you could make Pink Lemonade Bars that are exactly like lemon bars, but even cuter. Well I love them, and I'll probably never make lemon bars ever again because Pink Lemonade Bars are just so much better (maybe because they are pink, but whatevs). But definitely make these... I'm probably going to make them again this upcoming week. Enjoy :)

Pink Lemonade Bars

For the Crust:

9T Unsalted Butter

¼C Sugar

1C AP Flour

½t Salt

For the Filling: 

1 ½C Sugar

3 Egg Whites

1 Egg

2/3C Lemon Juice (about 4 lemons)

Zest of 4 Lemons

2/3C AP Flour

3T Raspberry Puree, Strained

¼t Salt

2T Powdered Sugar, For Dusting

Directions: 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 and spray an 11x7 baking dish (you can also line with parchment paper).

2. Cream the butter, flour, sugar, and salt in an electric mixer until a crumbly mixture is formed. Press the crumbly flour into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. While it cools, prepare the pink lemonade filling.

3. Whisk the sugar, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, zest, flour, salt, and raspberry puree in an electric mixer until it is a smooth, incorporated mixture. Pour the filling on top of the crust for 25-30 minutes until it is completely set. Let the bars come to room temperature (about an hour) and then cool them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours   .

4. Dust the bars with powdered sugar and then cut into squares.

5. Serve either cold or at room temperature. 

*This recipe was featured on Everyday Sister's Sharing Sundays. Please check their website for more delicious recipes as well!!

source: raspberry lemonade bars