Smores Bars

I know a lot of people like to eat smores during the summer. But for me, smores are a cooler weather type of snack. Don’t ask me why. I served these bars at my Thanksgiving dinner, and everybody gobbled them up. I like them best when they’re slightly warmed but not super gooey (otherwise the filling starts to ooze out and get everywhere). And they’re great on their own or with some vanilla ice cream to top them off.

Smores Bars

Recipe from The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces chocolate, chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
1 and 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet batter and mix well. Then divide the batter in half.
Press half of the batter into the bottom of your pan.
Spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the dough. This is easiest if you spray the spatula (or whatever utensil you’re using) with cooking spray.
Spread the chocolate on top.
Use your fingers to spread the remaining batter on top. (Coat your fingers with cooking spray to make this easier.)
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bars cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

Dec 2

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is one of those classic Thanksgiving desserts that never seems to go out of style. This dessert is basically the same concept, but in bar form. I forget where I got the original recipe from, but I’ve tweaked it slightly throughout the years to create a bar that’s just a bit less sweet than your typical pecan pie.

Preparing this dessert in bar form makes it easier to dish out when you’ve got a large crowd, as you don’t have to wait for the server to cut each slice individually. And while you do lose the elegance of presenting a whole pie, you don’t have to deal with the politics of who’s going to be first to cut into said pie. Plus, it’s easier to cut smaller portions when you’re working with bars, which is a good thing when you’re at Thanksgiving dinner and this dessert is only one of seven…

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup light brown sugar

For the topping:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and set aside.
To make the crust, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir until it forms course crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Let the bottom layer cool for 10 minutes while you make the topping.
To make the topping, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt, and vanilla until well-combined.
Pour the mixture over the crust, using a spatula as needed to spread evenly.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the bars.
Bake for 27-32 minutes, or until the tops start to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bars cool in the pan completely (at least one hour, preferably two) before slicing and serving.

Dec 1

Corn Muffins

Corn muffins have been a staple at my Thanksgiving table for the past number of years. I always make too many for the actual meal, which means I have plenty of leftovers on hand for breakfast the following week.

This recipe is fairly simple and makes at least 24 muffins. Feel free to cut it in half if you don’t want that many.

Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups AP flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups milk (feel free to substitute with soy milk or non-dairy creamer for a dairy-free version)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two muffin pans with liners (the recipe will yield about 24 muffins).
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and honey.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared muffin pans and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the pans for 1-2 minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.