S'mores Brownies

This recipe came from the Food Network site.  It looooooooooks so good!!!  I hit a couple snags though... I will tell you about them following the recipe.

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Crust:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 large cold eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 4 cups large marshmallows

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

 For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

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I couldn't find my 8 x 8 pan... so I used a 8" round one instead.  I would have been better off using my 9" round probably because the 8" round is just a tad too small to pour all the batter into.  We (my "almost" daughter-in-law & I) had to pour extra batter into a very small pan so as not to waste it.

Now for our marshmallow fiasco. lol  We placed the marshmallows on the top as the recipe said.  I moved the rack to about 6" from the broiler & away we went.  Ummm... yeah.... after a couple of minutes my marshmallows were starting to smoke & the tops were done (almost too done)... but the bottoms were not squishy... you could lift them right off the brownies. lol  I'm thinking that maybe I should have let my over cool some before putting them in there.... or maybe... if I try these again... I will let them sit in a warm oven enough to get the marshmallows squishy... then hit them with the broiler to brown them up. 

We were so full from the meal that we ate earlier that we didn't even try these... but we did try the extra brownie batter that we baked... & it was yummy!

My Heart Attack Cheese Grits Casserole!

So... if you don't like cheese... this is NOT the recipe for you.  Actually the original recipe called for only 1/2 the amount of cheese that I put in here.  My family loves cheese... so, of course, I modified it to make them happy.

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Here is the recipe, with step by step instructions below:

Heart Attack Cheese Grits

3 cups Boiling Water

1 cup Quick Grits

Pinch of Salt (optional)

1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup Milk

2 Eggs

16 oz. Colby or Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate cheese, leaving some in small chunks to be added to casserole after it is poured into a baking dish.  I grate the cheese before starting the grits because they will require your attention & do not take long to cook. 

Add grits and salt (if desired) to the boiling water & cook until really nice & thick.   You can follow the directions for cooking these off the back of the grits container if you have never cooked them before.

While grits are cooking, chop butter up, set aside.  Mix the eggs & milk together.  

When your grits are very thick, remove from heat & stir in your chopped butter.  Mix until butter is all melted.  Next pour in your milk & egg mixture & stir until blended.  Begin adding your grated cheese, a little at a time, stirring well in between additions so as not to end up with clumps & the cheese has a chance to melt & blend with the grits mixture.  Be sure to save some of the grated cheese for a crisp topping.

Pour into a 13 x 9 casserole dish.  Add your little chunks of cheese here & there, pressing them down into the grits mixture.  Spread the remaining grated cheese on the top & place into the oven, baking for approximately 40 minutes.  When the grits casserole is done it will be a consistancy of thick mashed potatoes.  If the center is not firm, place back into the oven & bake for an additional 10 minutes at a time until firm.

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Grate cheese... but remember to leave some in small chunks for later...

 If you'd like... you can experiment with other types of cheese if you have a favorite!

Also... if you want to cut down on the cheese... remember that I said this recipe has double the original recipe... so 8 oz. will work fine as well.

 

Stir your chopped butter into your hot grits.  I have used real unsalted butter & margarine... both seem to work fine.

 

Next you stir in the milk & egg mixture.  I always mix my milk & eggs together so my eggs don't start cooking when I add them to the hot grits.

 Now you can add the grated cheese, a little at a time.  If you dump it all in at once you will end up with large clumps & it won't melt & mix smoothly throughout the grits mixture.  Remember to set aside some of the grated cheese so that you have it to put on top of the casserole.

I might add that this part was quite the workout!  I had made a huge batch because we were having a family dinner... & there was so much to mix that I almost went to the garage to get my power drill & my paint mixer attachment. lol  My arms were really tired by the time I got done with this step!

 

If you find it easier... you can dip the mixture out & dump it into your casserole dish.  I always at least double the recipe... so for me this is easier than trying to lift the pan to pour it out.   Any way you do it... it goes into the casserole dish next... you do not have to grease your pan!

 

Scatter your cheese cubes around & then press them down into the mixture.

 

Spread the grated cheese around on top & then place in the oven!!

 

After 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven... they are ready to eat!

Enjoy!!