Sweet Baked Life

The crazy days of summer are upon us! And for my 12-year old son that means enjoying every possible moment of his summer break — free from the rigors of school and immersing himself in all things he loves! For me that means making super quick and easy recipes that my family will not only love to eat, but since they’re fast to prepare I’ll hopefully have more time to spending enjoying the summer with them!  With that being said, let me introduce you to these incredible no-bake Sweet n’ Gooey S’mores Bars!

You see I wanted to make something special for my son as he has taken on a huge project for the summer. He decided to sell off some of his once beloved childhood toys to have the money to purchase new things (not toys mind you) that he is passionate about. This really is a huge step for him since he is a collector of many things, has been ever since he was little and that being said has never wanted to get rid of anything — that’s what collecting is all about, right? So making something with him in mind was easy — can’t go wrong with smooth milk chocolate, fluffy marshmallows and crisp graham crackers!

Before the celebration with the bars – we became eBay bound! On his own, my son painstakingly went through all of his toys, selected the ones he wanted to sell, wrote the descriptions, decided on the price, took the photographs, and put together the boxes  – weighed and measured them so they were ready for us to list. After each item is sells, he helps with the packaging and brining the boxes to the post office. Let me tell you, this has been a great experience for him — he is learning so much about the “real” world – finance, accounting, customer service, and an overall sense of business. We are so very proud of him!  So I whipped up these Sweet n’ Gooey S’mores Bars – they are a snap to make, even better to eat especially after a long day at the office and then assisting with my son’s project when I get home! As well, they are just about as sweet as hearing that cha-ching sound after each sale — kinda gets him motivated to find more treasures to sell!

Sweet n’ Gooey S’mores Bars
(adapted from Very Best Baking)

8 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1-3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
8 whole graham crackers (about 2 cups), broken into 1/2-inch pieces

Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat combine 6 cups of marshmallows and butter. Stir frequently for about 5 or until smooth. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir until melted

Quickly, stir in graham cracker pieces, remaining 2 cups of marshmallows and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. This mixture will be thick. To help the stirring process, you can spray your spatula with some nonstick cooking spray.

Spread mixture into prepared baking pan with your coated spatula, pressing down lightly. Cool for 2 hours or until set. If it’s warm in your home you may need to put in the fridge just to set. Lift s’mores from pan then peel off the foil. Cut into squares and serve.

Go forth my boy and sell, sell, sell. And maybe, just maybe, you won’t spend every last penny, but if you do, well, as I see it, that’s ok with me!  Enjoy your sweet treats my love. And thanks for telling me that they were the best!