S'MORES!

My favorite things include the people I love (especially my family members), popcorn, and s’mores - to name just a few things!  If I have an excuse to make something for friends and family, I am all over it! This time, my cousin Martin was coming through town and I got the privilege of bringing dessert (thank you Glenn and Estelle for hosting dinner)!  And, you KNOW how I always follow a recipe exactly – NOT! 

I found this recipe online and you can too!
http://cookiesandcups.com/smores-in-a-jar/
 I loved the photos posted there.

This is the recipe I followed - almost exactly.  I filled a dozen jars, used the large box of instant Jell-O pudding, two (2) 7-ounce containers of marshmallow fluff and I put a large marshmallow on top. Patty you were right, the mini marshmallows would have been better on top.  They would have melted thoroughly inside when toasted under the broiler. Joel thinks I should use CoolWhip instead of marshmallow fluff next time and there will be a next time! 

All the ingredients - before I asked Joel to bring home the second container of marshmallow fluff.

I placed all the filled jars in a 9x13 pan for easy transportation and so I could put them all under the broiler at one time. It only took a couple of minutes to toast the marshmallows and I watched them carefully. I have been known to burn things - like the cheese, right Dayna? When the marshmallows turned a lovely toasty color, I carefully removed them from the oven and then placed one square of a Hershey Chocolate Bar in each. (Since the jars were cold and I placed them under the broiler, I think it is important to point out that I used canning jars which are made to take the heat; not that anything but the marshmallows got warm.)

The marshmallow wasn't quite melted enough to insert the piece of Hershey Bar.
Mini marshmallows would have done the trick!

These are not made for shipping. Let me know when you are coming to visit and I’ll make some for you too! 

(If you are still reading at this point, and you are a member of the Grammar Police, please make any corrections and teach me the errors of my ways!)

QUICK YUMMY TREAT!

This won’t heat up the kitchen too much so this is a great treat to make in the summer time. Plus, it stirs up quick on the stove top so it doesn’t take long to make.  I made these for God's Gathering last week and they seemed to be a big hit. So I'm making them again!

First, I like to get all the ingredients in order, and I pre-measure everything so I can just mix it up step by step. Now that my memory seems to be playing tricks on me, I double check myself so I don’t skip any steps.  Surely that has nothing to do with my age? Don't you sometimes have a few little distractions in your life and forget what's next?



I like to grease and sugar (not flour) the pans I use when I make sweet treats so that’s what I did this time too. I actually sprayed the pan with Pam and then sprinkled just enough sugar to cover. I made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe that my Dahling Daughter Dayna shared with me, so here is my version:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CRISPY RICE CEREAL BARSIngredients:
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (10.5 ounce) package mini marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
TOPPING
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons CriscoDirections:Pour the rice cereal and crunchy peanut butter in a large bowl; set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the light corn syrup and white sugar; bring to a boil; continue to boil for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low and stir in butter or margarine, peanut butter and vanilla until melted and smooth.
Add in mini marshmallows and stir until blended.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the rice cereal and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Press the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, flatten with the back of a buttered spoon. (Sometimes I use a piece of wax paper that I lightly coat with butter to press down these Rice Krispy Treats.)

In a microwave-safe bowl microwave the chocolate chips with shortening on HIGH until melted, removing once to stir. This took less than one minute and I stirred it at 30 seconds. Immediately spread the hot chocolate mixture evenly over the bars; chill to harden the chocolate.

Then, cut into desired size bars.

It's easy to clean up especially if you have a Cookie Monster to pre-wash the spoons and bowls.

This is something from Peg's Pantry that I could easily ship to you (for a fee of course). If you don’t have time to mix these up yourself, let me know…make me an offer I can’t refuse…beg, plead, ask nicely even…and I’ll make the next batch of these for YOU!