Thursday, January 1, 2009

Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars

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Happy New Year! I say that, but I wish time could just freeze. So let's backtrack to Christmas, when things were much simpler..haha..no need to think about new years resolutions or the constant reminder that time just passes by way too quickly. I had the hardest time trying to decide what to bake for Christmas. Chocolate chip cookies would be safe, but I wanted to try something new and easy. I like challenges, but I needed to make something I could do beforehand without worrying about staling. I don't mean actual staling, but it kills me when I bake something that is perfect texturally the first day and then have it turn into something remotely different the next. If I could, I would probably bake all my Christmas day cookies, the day of, but seriously, getting out of the door to my Grandparents' is hectic enough without the baking! I wanted something that was also basically foolproof because it's nice to know a dessert you try for the first time will actually turn out, especially when it's for a huge group or people. I finally decided to make bars, but with the million of recipes out there, which one? A long time ago, I starred the Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars from Jaime at Good Eats 'n Sweets in my google reader. To make them even more foolproof, I replaced the chocolate cake layer with a graham cracker crust so I wouldn't even have to worry about a dry cake layer. Plus, everyone likes graham crackers and now I've turned these bars into sort of smores. It's a little easier to say smores than chocolate peanut butter and marshmallow bars anyway.

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I can't believe I've never tried mixing peanut butter together with chocolate before because it was so unbelieveably delicious and addicting! Chipits are usually pretty grainy, but the addition of peanut butter gives the mixture a nice and creamy texture. The crunch from the rice krispies also gives it a nice contrast. You would think that something with chocolate and peanut butter would be popular, but it took a while before somebody except me was eating them. My family tends to think everything is too sweet or rich so I've been working hard to bake a chiffon cake. So far, they've all been flops, but I'm going to try Alton Brown's version next. Anyway, other than replacing the cake layer, I made a few changes to fit a 9x9 square pan.

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
Esther Shank, Taste of Home's Holiday Get-Together 2006
Original Recipe found here from Good Eats 'n Sweets

Recipe adapted by me

1 package of graham crackers (9 crackers)
6 tablespoons of butter melted
4 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping:
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp butter
1.5 cups crisp rice cereal

1. In a food processor, process graham crackers into crumbs and add melted butter until well combined. Press mixture evenly into a 9x9 square pan lined with aluminum foil and bake at 325 for 10 minutes until it has set. Remove from oven

2. Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over graham cracker layer; return to oven until marshmallows have melted (this happens really quickly so don't take your eyes off the oven). If necessary, using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows evenly over cake. Cool.

3. For topping, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well blended. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Immediately spread over bars. Chill.

I tried cutting these bars before they were actually chilled and that did not work. It is important to ensure that they are properly chilled or else it will be very messy.

barschocolatepeanutbuttermarshmallow

This is just some of the baking stuff I got this year. A large cookie scoop, the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch muffin tin, a Nordicware petit fours pan and some Chicago Metallic mini loaf pans!

xmas

36 comments:

  1. Lovin' the bars and the gifts!!

    HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR STEPH!!!

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  2. these bars look terrific. I made them and they were great. didn t make the cookie base though. Nice presents you got this year :) Happy new year !!

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  3. I love those Goldtouch pans!...and I bought a similar petit fours pan last year (two years ago?) and haven't used it yet. I'd love to see what you do with yours!
    Happy New Year, Steph!
    Audrey

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  4. You've never combined PB and chocolate before?? It's my favorite flavor combination! I love the idea of smores bars with the graham cracker crust.

    I love how cute the petit four pan is! Any ideas? I'm thinking brownies or cake. I love geting baking stuff for Christmas. I got a mini muffin pan.

    Happy New Year! I wish time would freeze too because I'm graduating in May, eek!

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  5. Yum! These are going on my to-make-as-soon-as-possible list! THey look perfect. I like the graham cracker crust. What fun baking stuff. I love the mini-pan, so cute. Happy New Year!

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  6. The bars look so scrumptious! Awesome gifts!!

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  7. Love the bars, I know my family will adore them. One thing that's way better the next day is a butter based marble cake - any flavour - somehow the aging makes the flavours blend together better. I think Dorie Greenspan has tons of recipes for them in her book.

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  8. Ohhh wow these look incredible!

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  9. I love what you did with the bars and gosh, if your fam won't eat them.... I will! darn they sound yummy and look good too.

    Your new kitchen toys look amazing and you can use them year 'round right? How fun to add to your collection.
    AmyRuth
    Happy New Year!

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  10. The bars look sooo tasty. I live for nut butters! Happy New Year!

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  11. Love your gifties!! The bars look so nice!!! Yum!

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  12. These look sooooo good. I love all the components! Happy new year!

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  13. How fun to read your Christmas post! Great bars; your changes sound wonderful. And that's a nice haul of new equipment. I got some fun kitchen things too (Santa and I are very close, shall we say?)
    Nancy

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  14. Hi Steph,
    Nice haul on the Christmas gifts, lucky you.
    I tried saying 'chocolate peanut butter marshmallow bars' 5 times real fast and it was more fun than saying 's'mores' that way. You really come visit me and bring food.

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  15. should
    add that between really and come, okay?

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  16. Looks like you got some very nice things this Christmas. Can't wait to see what you do with them. :o)
    Those bars look great! I love the picture of the crumbly, graham cracker bottom. Yummy!

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  17. Oh, wow. Those bars look so good. YUM!

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  18. OH WOW! I'm drooling!

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  19. That's it -- I'm putting off my New Years' resolutions to February so I can make these bars. They look perfect! Love your Christmas baking haul -- Santa was good to you! Happy New Year!!

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  20. What a great load of gifts! Happy new year to you as well. The bars look so addictive.

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  21. Ooohh those bars look so sweet and delicious!

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  22. Wow! those look great. As soon as I recover from all the sweets I ate over the holidays I am making those wonderful Chocolate, Marshmellow Bars.

    Sharona May

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  23. Wow I love your petit fours tin! All the different shapes are so cool :D

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  24. How could your family resist those?? I LOVE your modification - smore bars, perfect. I'm going to have to try that. I made the marshmallow crunch brownie bars (from Buttercup Bakes) at Christmas too which I think are basically the same. I loved the peanut butter/chocolate/rice krispy top too... I could eat just that. Right now I'm trying to bake some cookies to send to my friends in Japan so you can imagine how much I'm thinking/worrying about the cookies drying out by the time they get there. So I'm trying to make cookies that are meant to be hard but they're not all working out as I'd hoped...

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  25. I WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU AND HAVE YOU BAKE ME THESE LOVELY BARS AND OTHER DELICIOUS ITEMS ALL DAY LONG.

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  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  27. have you used the goldtouch yet and do you plan to do a review? i saw these on america's test kitchen when they reviewed "the best brownie pans" for a recent episode. it was the hand's down winner, but not their "best buy" b/c of course, it's williams-sonoma, LOL.

    anyway, i'm interested in a home cook's results... :)

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  28. wow nice blog, I like it, and $$mile 4 u today, Dropping too my blog pleaseeee yach

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  29. Yay, another marshmallow filled recipe! S'mores are one of my very fave flavors, the other probably snickerdoodle. Got any of those hidden here? :-)
    ~ingrid

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  30. These chocolate peanut butter marshmallow bars is how I found your site. Oh my word these look absolutely excellent! I think I will attempt to make these this weekend. Good job on the photography skills as well. I enjoy your blog, I will definitely have to tune in regularly.

    I started a baking blog a couple of months ago and would love to share it with you. Please take a moment to check it out and tell me what you think.

    heidibakes.blogspot.com

    Sincerely,
    Heidi

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  31. These look great! Chocolate and marshmallow always makes a great treat! Thanks for the recipe! :)

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  32. Theses look beautiful. I was just googlin' a recipe for peanut butter marshmallow cookies, and this pops up. Really beautiful. I'm planning on making them when I get back next week!

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