his
recipe contains all the necessary S'more components; chocolate,
marshmallows, and graham crackers only instead of sandwiching the chocolate
and marshmallows between two graham crackers we are going to make squares.
This is done by
mixing together graham
cracker crumbs, rolled oats, flour, coconut, ground cinnamon,
melted butter, sugar, and maple syrup. We press half of this mixture into a
pan and the other half becomes the top layer. In between is
the chocolate chips and marshmallows which when baked, melt, just like a S'More. To keep these bars soft and chewy make sure to bake them only until lightly browned. You will need to cut them into squares while they
are still warm otherwise the job becomes a little messy. The bars can be
stored at room temperature for several days. This recipe
comes from the King Arthur Flour's "The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook" where
they tell us these bars are great for snacks, and not just for kids.
A few notes on ingredients.
I
recommend using pure maple syrup in these bars as it adds a nice depth of
flavor. Do not use the artificial pancake syrup. If you do not have pure
maple syrup in your pantry, you can substitute dark corn syrup
realizing, of course, that the taste of the bars will be somewhat altered.
I like to use old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe, not the quick
cooking type. While both types start with oats that are cleaned, toasted,
and hulled to become what we call oat groats, the difference between the two
is in the thickness of the oats after the oat groats have been steamed and flattened. Old-fashioned rolled oats are thicker because to make quick-cooking
rolled oats the oat groats are first cut into pieces before being
steamed and flattened. Although they are usually interchangeable in
recipes I prefer the thicker texture and better flavor of the old
fashioned. For those not living in North America a good substitute for
graham cracker crumbs is crushed Digestive Biscuits although you could use
any crushed butter cookie if that is all you have on hand. The only other
point that needs mentioning is about the sweetened coconut. Sweetened
coconut is made by combining coconut with powdered icing and is packaged either in plastic bags or
cans. It comes shredded or flaked and you can use either type.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177
degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter
(or use a non stick cooking spray) a
9 x 9 inch (23 x
23
cm) square baking pan. Set aside.
Melt the butter,
brown sugar, and maple syrup in a medium sized saucepan, placed over medium
heat. Once the sugar has dissolved remove the saucepan from the heat and
transfer the mixture to a large heatproof bowl. Stir in the flour, oats,
graham cracker crumbs, coconut, salt and ground cinnamon, making sure all the
dry ingredients are coated with the butter mixture. Press about half of this
mixture into the prepared pan and leave to cool (about 10 minutes). Once the
mixture has cooled sufficiently, evenly sprinkle with the chocolate chips and
marshmallows. Top with the remaining crust mixture. Bake in the preheated oven
for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
Cut into squares while they are still warm. Can be stored at room temperature
for several days.
Makes about 16 - 2
inch squares.
Source:
King Arthur Flour
Company, Inc. 'The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook'. The Countryman Press.
Woodstock: 2003
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