There was a lot going on in the kitchen. Saturday night, the bf and I made spring rolls from scratch for dinner. Zareen (one of the best friends crew) came over to bake Smore Brownies. Sunday we had bbq chicken in Korean marinade, rice & beans, salad, and corn. Dessert was a sinful Vietnamese inspired ice cream concoction. Monday night, I made some delicious almond cookies. Hey... I wouldn't have a food blog if I didn't love food.
These brownies are hardcore. The crust is graham crackers and butter; the chocolate is rich but not overly sweet; the texture is like a thick mousse; and the marshmallows add some cute charm! I found them on FoodNetwork.com. They take about 40 minutes in the oven, so patience.Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt
Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows-- I used mini's and only coated half of the batch.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
For the crust... lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for about a minute. Stir and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more.
Switch to a double boiler for the butter and chocolate. If you must be crafty, use a heatproof bowl resting on a couple of inches of water in a pan over the stove. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Remove from the heat.Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, about 2 minutes.
What happens if you don't keep an eye on it? Flames. And your big brother running over with a fire extinguisher. Alarms going off. Everyone crowding over the oven. AHH!!!! Scrape off and try again.. though I advise just keeping an eye on it.... slick.
Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away.
