Saturday 4 May 2013

S'mores Brownies



Say s'mores, think campfires. Think bonfires on a beach, in a field, encircled by friends, talking and laughing and licking fingers and sticks free of gooey sugary delight, which not too long ago was a light-as-air pillow of sweetness.Think summer.










But now, as the rain and the storms arrive at our front door with their suitcases, asking (demanding) if they could stay on our couch for a night.. or two.. I find myself longing for that summery sweetness once again. Oh well. At least now I have the perfect excuse to spend my days in a kitchen with an indoor sun, baking the cake version of this summer reminiscence.



Despite the recipe's name, I found the morsels more of a spongy cake than the dense square I usually associate with The Brownie. Not that I'm complaining. Despite my first impressions, this dessert is not too overly sweet, and the biscuit pieces and marshmallow top add something a little bit special, a little bit exciting. This is not your average brownie.



S'mores Brownies


This recipe is from Joy the baker's cookbook
Her blog is well worth a read. It's a haven for anyone just a little food-obsessed.

As a side note, the recipe calls for '12 large marshmallows, but next time I will use waaay more. Maybe it was just the sort of marshmallow I was using (is there even different types?), but my marshmallows didn't puff up much during cooking, and didn't spread a lot either. Oh well. I could always just make them again…

1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant espresso powder or coffee powder (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces (170 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup roughly crushed graham crackers
12 (or more) large marshmallows

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter and flour a 9x13-inch (23x33-cm) baking pan to keep the brownies from sticking to the pan. (Cooking spray also works wonders.) Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour. baking powder, salt, and, if desired, espresso powder. Set aside.
Place a medium saucepan with 2 inches (5 cm) of simmering water over medium-high heat. In a medium heatproof bowl combine the butter and chocolate. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove melted chocolate mixture from the simmering pot and allow to cool for several minutes. Once slightly cool, whisk in sugars. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla then fold in the graham crackers. Mix chocolate mixture into dry ingredients thoroughly until just just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and dot with the marshmallows. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Marshmallows will be browned and puffy, but will deflate as the brownies cool. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Clean the knife under hot running water when the marshmallows begin to stick to the knife. Wrap individually in plastic wrap for storing. Brownies will keep for up to 4 days, well wrapped, at room temperature.


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