Homemade Marshmallow S'mores Bars

Summer is the season of the s'more, therefore summer is the best season of the year! When summer comes around, it's hard for me to go a week without indulging in warm, melty, roasted s'mores and I've found a new way to indulge my cravings with these easy S'mores Bars made with Homemade Marshmallow.

To be completely honest, I don't even like marshmallows that much, but I love me some s'mores. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that fresh, homemade marshmallows have a much fluffier texture than the balls of plastic that you buy at the grocery store. Honestly, I was a little nervous about making marshmallows at home, but the process was so easy and much quicker than I expected. It's definitely something I will do more often this summer - maybe s'mores ice cream with homemade marshmallow is in my future! Yum.

Let's start from the bottom-up: of course, the homemade marshmallow rests on a buttery graham cracker crust. Graham cracker crumbs are one of my weaknesses in life, and I can never help but sneak a few spoonfuls of the sugary mixture for myself before placing it in the oven to bake. So much yum.

Next comes the layer of homemade marshmallow. Now, like I said I don't love marshmallows but I wasn't at all bothered by the thickness of this layer. I think eating it by itself would have been overwhelming for me, but since there is a graham cracker bottom and dark chocolate ganache top (getting there in a second), it was a great balance.Now, onto the chocolate ganache. It's one of the easiest thing to make, just melt some dark chocolate chunks in heavy cream and mix until fully combined.

After pouring this over the marshmallow, I then added sprinkles on top for extra color and extra fun.The process of making these s'mores bars takes some time since the homemade marshmallow and chocolate ganache need time to set, but it's well worth the wait! Try this out this summer and see for yourself. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• 2 packets of gelatin

• 2/3 cup light corn syrup

• 1 tbs vanilla extract

• 5 ounces dark chocolate chunks

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.

3. Transfer the graham cracker crumb mixture to the 8x8 baking dish. Spread the crumbs, so they cover the surface of the bottom of the pan. Firmly press the crumbs down, forming a compact layer.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust is slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside, allowing the crust to cool.

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallow

1. Meanwhile as the crust cools, add the gelatin and 1/3 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine and set aside.

2. In a medium pot fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, corn syrup, and 1/3 cup water, whisking to combine. Heat the mixture over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees.

3. Carefully transfer the hot sugar mixture into the stand mixer mixing bowl with the gelatin. Beat, using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, on high.

4. The mixture will gradually become opaque and beautifully glossy. Add in the vanilla and continue to mix, until the mixture forms soft peaks and gently pulls strands away from the side of the bowl as it mixes. This will take a little bit of time - about 10-15 minutes.

5. Using a nonstick spatula, transfer the marshmallow to the pan, on top of the graham cracker crust. Use the spatula to spread the marshmallow into a smooth layer. You may not need all of it.

6. Rest uncovered for 8 hours, or overnight, so the marshmallow sets & dries.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

1. Melt dark chocolate in the cream with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in the microwave, heating in 30 second intervals and mixing thoroughly between each interval. Once the chocolate is completely melted, continue to stir for an additional minute or two so the chocolate takes on a beautiful sheen. The texture should be glossy and smooth.

2. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the marshmallow layer, smoothing it down.

3. Rest for another 4 hours, or up to overnight, so chocolate sets completely.

4. Once ready, lift the parchment paper out of the dish and pull the paper away from the bars. Cut bars into small squares and serve.

Adapted From: Plays Well With Butter