Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

S’mores Cookie Pie

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This S’mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

Every June J’s extended family hosts a reunion, and every June (when we’re home to attend) I take the opportunity to test one of my dessert recipes with the crowd. This year I went with S’mores Cookie Pie, and it just might be the most popular recipe I’ve ever made for the reunion. It might even beat the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramel Icing, but I think that race is too close to call.

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

Regardless, this recipe was insanely popular. It was a hit with even the pickier folks, and it’s not difficult to see why. The base of my S’mores Cookie Pie is just half of my chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I added graham cracker chunks for that classic s’mores flavor. Instead of using marshmallows or marshmallow fluff, I used both for maximum gooey goodness. There are plenty of chocolate chips, of course, and they get wonderfully gooey during baking.

This S'mores Cookie Pie is perfectly gooey and rich, and it serves a crowd. Forget the charred marshmallows and the sticky fingers; dig in!

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S’mores Cheesecake Bars

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What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s’mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S’mores Cheesecake Bars.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Am I the only one whose greatest culinary creations are borne out of the simple need to use up ingredients in the kitchen? It’s the motivation behind my Crushed Oreo Triangles and Glazed Strawberry Lime Scones.

Now, it’s also the motivation behind these S’mores Cheesecake Bars. As I was mulling over ideas for a sweet treat to take to a staff party at school, I discovered we had two bricks of cream cheese chilling in the fridge. They needed to be used. J is a huge cheesecake junkie–when he isn’t requesting Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Bars–so I knew he’d be pleased if I went that route.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

Well, I love s’mores as much as J loves cheesecake, and I knew I could marry those two obsessions. Because I love being able to develop a recipe using just what I have on hand, I knew it was fate that I had a stray Hershey bar in my drawer of baking supplies.

Making these S’mores Cheesecake Bars was a solid decision. They’re surprisingly easy to make and, since they’re topped with s’mores ingredients, there’s no need to stress over getting that perfect crack-less top. People will be too blinded by the gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate to notice the fault lines.

What happens when you combine the classic flavors of s'mores with rich cheesecake? You get these creamy, dreamy S'mores Cheesecake Bars.

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S’mores Fudge Bars

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It doesn’t get more rich or decadent than these s’mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

I have no idea how many s’mores recipes I’ve pinned since the invite-only days of Pinterest, but it’s been a lot. A lot. The combination of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate is one of my favorites, and I’ll pretty much pin anything that promises to deliver that combo in a new and exciting form.

It doesn't get more rich or decadent than these s'mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

I’ve made a startlingly small number of those recipes, though. I don’t often buy marshmallows- probably because then I’d make all the recipes. Many of the recipes call for marshmallow fluff or milk chocolate, two other ingredients I don’t usually have on hand. My most recent pregnancy craving, in addition to potatoes in any form, has been s’mores, though, so I was super grateful when the stars aligned to bring me this s’mores fudge bars recipe because I actually had the ingredients for it.

Well, I didn’t really have all the ingredients, but I had enough to change it up and create my own version which, if I do say so myself, is really freaking good. The graham cracker crust is really straightforward: graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. The fudge part is where things get interesting: sweetened condensed milk is melted together with semisweet chocolate chips for a rich, smooth layer that’s reminiscent of milk chocolate. The whole thing is topped with marshmallows that get perfectly toasted and gooey in the oven.

It doesn't get more rich or decadent than these s'mores fudge bars: a gooey layer of fudge sandwiched between graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows.

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