Halloween Spicy S'mores Cookie Bars

It was just innocent at first, I came across the recipe for Smore's Cookie Bars at church; we all baked them for the men at church for Father's Day.  I should have known, Miss Tina, the lady we got the recipe from is a very good cook, and she always finds the best S'mores recipes.

I mean I don't even like the kind of S'mores that you eat as you sit around the campfire.  Chocolate and graham crackers yes, but no thank you on the burnt marshmallows!  Then when we were in Pennsylvania at our son's home, and we were talking about desserts -- as we always do -- they had been making them too, but as a pie.  We all agreed that the graham crackers in the crust made these bars special. 

So naturally, Zoulah wanted to put her spin (some might call it magic) on things and make them Halloween-y, and we loved them even more.  In fact our daughter said, we would never make them again without the spices.  Ooh-la-la the chocolate and the spices taste sooooo good together.

So here goes the recipe.

Halloween Spicy S'mores Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 2/3  cups flour

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs -- about 1 sleeve and use cinnamon ones for an extra punch of cinnamon-y goodness

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Orange food coloring

Hershey Chocolate Bars -- 24 snack-sized bars

1 container of marshmallow fluff -- not marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.  Cream together butter and sugars until light.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmegs.   Add orange food coloring if desired -- use about 1/2 teaspoon gel coloring.  Add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.  Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of prepared pan.  Place chocolate bars  over dough.  Spread chocolate with marshmallow fluff.  Wet your hands or use a wet spatula to ease in the spreading of the fluff.  Next, put the remaining dough on top.  This is easiest if you sort of flatten small shingles of dough and lay them out piece by piece.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely before cutting.  I like to cut them in 3 by 4 squares, so about 9 to a pan.

Thanks Tina for the original recipe, and thanks Zoulah for adding some Halloween magic to it.  I am sure there is an original source, but I do not know it.

Use 2 Packages of 12 Pack Snack-Sized S'mores Bar (or the equivalent)

Take a Deep Breath of the Chocolate Goodness

I know I am supposed to like European chocolate better, but I love Hershey's chocolate bars, especially with almonds in them!

The Bars Laid Out on the Bottom Crust

Marshmallow Fluff

Pat the Cookie Dough for the Top Crust in Thin Shingles and Then Piece it Together

The Bars Waiting to be Baked

I hope you make a batch soon.

Zoulah thanks you for stopping by!