“First you toast the mallow”

Four of my close friends and I went to the coast together. There was a lot of food and drinking to be had. Personally I think certain actions should always be paired with certain food. Hot tub= Champagne. Roaring fire= s’mores.

Don’t have a roaring fire? Here is a loophole on some smore bars. Recipe can be found here: Bam!

makes 9 squares in an 8-inch square pan

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for pressing dough into pan

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup nutella

8 marshmallows, cut in half

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper (leaving some overhanging paper flaps on two ends) and grease parchment paper.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment (also known and my belonged kitchen aide mixer- how I love thee), beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk.  Beat until well incorporated.  Stop the mixer and add flour.  Beat on low speed until completely incorporated.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with flour (Important!).  With clean fingers, press the dough into the bottom of the pan.  Use a bit more flour as necessary so that the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers.  Try to make the crust as even as possible.

Bake crust for 20-24 minutes until golden brown around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Run a thin butter knife around edges of the pan.  Use the two parchment paper flaps to carefully remove the crust from the pan.  Run a butter knife between the crust and the paper and carefully slide the crust from the paper and onto a unlined baking sheet.

Top crust with a thin layer of nutella.  Arrange marshmallows on top of nutella.  Return to the 350 degree oven for about 4 minutes.  This will warm and soften the marshmallows.  Remove from the oven and turn the oven onto the broiler setting if you have it, I don’t. whomp.  Use the back of a spoon to gently press and smash the top of each marshmallow.

Once all the marshmallows are smashed, return to the broiler.  Keep a very very very very close eye on the marshmallows.  They’ll toast in seconds.  They’ll burn in seconds.  I read that most didn’t even close the broiler door.  They just need a kiss of broiler action. I feel like this is another reason why I did a cooking torch.

Remove toasted marshmallow cookie from the oven.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Cookies can be served slightly warm or at room temperature.  Cookies can be left, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 4 days. Although I don’t think they will last that long.