S'MORE BAR

 

s'mores!!!  with the warm weather & [s'more season] camping season upon us, i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make my year round s'more bars. i mean, why should indulging in a s'more be limited to just the summer months? this recipe is inspired by the s'more bar i had the first time i visited anna olsen's bakery in niagara on the lake. as a big fan of her food network series, i told my mom that if for some reason anna olsen was actually there, DO NOT embarrass me. what did she do the second anna olsen walked in? [embarrass me] told her what a big fan i was... yada yada yada. oh moms. anyways, back to the s'more bars. they are layers of milk chocolate chunks, graham crackers and marshmallows, all bound together with a graham cracker puree filling! i could eat this filling on its own, it is so good! these are a perfect grab and go snack and freeze well in a sealed container.

ingredients:

  • 15 sheets whole graham crackers
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (regular milk works too)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 300g milk chocolate chopped (additional 50g if you snack on it while baking like me)
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. in a sauce pot on low heat melt butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla until dissolved.
  3. stir in graham cracker crumbs, and set aside.
  4. in a nine-inch square pan greased or lined with parchment paper begin to assemble the bars starting with: whole graham crackers, 1/3 filling, 100g milk chocolate, 2/3 cup marshmallows, and repeat.
  5. finish with chocolate chunks and marshmallows as the top layer.
  6. bake for 15-20 minutes, until marshmallows begin to bubble and brown.
  7. remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing. i find refrigerating it before cutting works best!

MAPLE OATMEAL MUFFINS

 

a few weeks ago, i went to the one of a kind show in toronto and went a little maple crazy! maybe it's the canadian in me, but i love maple syrup.. so when i saw maple mustard, maple butter, maple bbq sauce i had to have it all.  instead of simply using the syrup   and butter on pancakes, i wanted to incorporate it into my baking. maple oatmeal muffins drizzled with maple butter! it makes for the perfect snack or grab and go breakfast on busy weekday mornings. 

ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar 
  •  1 egg
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup 
  • 1 tsp vanilla 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cup flour 
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup quick oats 
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • maple butter (for drizzle)

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. in the bowl of a stand mixer mix oil, raw sugar, maple syrup and egg until well combined.
  3. add vanilla and milk.
  4. sift in salt, flour, baking powder and quick oats until just combined. 
  5. fill greased muffin tins leaving a little bit of room at the top. bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  6. let cool before drizzling with maple butter. note: if you do not have maple butter, you can make a glaze using maple syrup and icing sugar. 

ROCKY ROAD COOKIES

 

there was a time when i literally made some form of this cookie dough every single week! i'd freeze the dough and bake them per cookie in small batches so i could have them hot out of the oven every time i ate one. this is quite possibly the best base dough you can use for chocolate chip cookies. for this particular recipe i used marshmallows & milk chocolate chunks hence "rocky road".. but don't be afraid to make your own version! cranberry & white chocolate, coconut & dark chocolate chunk, mars bar... AH i've said too much! can't give away all my secrets:) note: i undercook these slightly so they are softer, chewier, and slightly raw tasting because... cookie dough.

ingredients:

  • 3.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup raw sugar (white sugar will work too)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 300g milk chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and raw sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
  4. in a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. sift slowly into wet ingredients.
  5. once all the flour mixture has been incorporated, stir in milk chocolate chunks and marshmallows.
  6. wrap in cling wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for minimum an hour, but for best results over night.
  7. once dough is rested, roll into desired cookie size and bake for 8-12 minutes (once edges just slightly brown)
  8. let cool & enjoy!