4 layer s'mores bars

I think I am in love brownies... In mugs, skinny ones, stuffed up the wazoo with snickers, smothered in peanut butter frosting, baked into cupcakes or just plain and dusted with powdered sugar. That is the stuff.  NOW I present you with s'mores. Made with 4 layers of joy and happiness. Uh huh... Honestly, when it comes to baking, I'm not much of a rebel. I typically stick to the simple, classic recipes and shy away anything crazy like filling ice cream cones with frosting or shoving cake into fudge. Don't dig. But I kinda just threw those reservations out the window when I layered graham cracker crust, fudgey and thick brownies, gooey marshmallows, and a crunchy chocolate shell. Best decision of my life. 

Rarely does an occasion occur when I am ASKED to bake something. Sure my family loves my baking and gobbles up a plate of anything covered in chocolate, but usually, I just bake because I feel like it or really want sugar. {This happens often.} But last week, my mom asked me to make something chocolatey because we had some visitors from the states and they loooooove their chocolate. I braved the challenge, grabbed a heck load of chocolate, more chocolate, graham crackers, brick 'a butter, marshmallows, and went to town. The result was glorious. << understatement. 

Let's start from the bottom, shall we? Like your typical s'mores the base is graham cracker crust. Nothing fancy, just graham crackers {or tea biscuits which is what I used} and butter, baked for a few minutes until light brown and buttery. Next up is the brownie layer. For this layer I adapted a recipe from Averie Cooks. I have a brownie recipe that I use for everything but decided to try a new one that looked just as good if not better. {Obviously, I was in a rebellious mood this given day. Yeesh.} The brownie turned out great- super dense and fudgey and really sink-your-teeth-into-it-able. 

Next up, marshmallows! Or as a little munchkin I used to babysit calls them- MARSHAMOOOOOWS! Not much to explain here. Pretty much grab a handful or fifty seven of marshmallows, sprinkle 'em on top of the brownie layer, and watch them bake to golden brown, puffy perfection. Resist the urge to eat the melty marshmallows right off the top with a spoon. RESIST! After the 3 layers are done baking and melding together, and as if you couldn't get any more sinful, you top it off with a layer of melted chocolate. AGAIN, resist the temptation to drown your sorrows in drippy chocolate. I'm sorry these brownies require WAAAAY a lot of self-discipline which I kinda sorta lack. I also may or may not have taken a bite from the pan right out of the oven and burned the crap out of the roof of my mouth. Thanks to my self-discipline and lack there of, I wasn't able to fully enjoy my cup of coffee the next morning. Learn from my mistakes, dear one. 

These bars are definitely one of my favorites recipes and they were a hit with everyone. My mom went so far as to say the best bars I've EVER made. Which, not to toot my own horn or anything, is quite impressive. These bars of joy are SO dense and chewy. There's a million different textures and flavors going on, but they come together to form one stinking delicious dessert I know you'll love. 

4 layer s'mores bars

Graham Cracker Layer:
14 tea biscuits {or 7 graham crackers} crushed
4 tbsp. butter, melted

Brownie Layer: {adapted from Averie Cooks}

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
3/4 c. cake flour

Topping: 
3 c. marshmallows
1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chunks, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. Start off by preparing your graham cracker layer. Combine the melted butter and crushed cookies. Press into prepared pan. Now prepare the brownie layer. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Stop to stir, and heat in 10-second bursts until mixture has melted and can be stirred smooth. Batter will be very granular. Add the vanilla, eggs, and stir vigorously until batter is thick, shiny, and well blended. Add the flour and stir. Pour batter evenly into the prepared baked crust. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Once slightly cooled, top with melted chocolate. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight until firmed up. Cut into squares and serve.