S’mores Brownies

It’s raining, it’s pouring, Sadie has an urge to bake something… 🙂 Yes, in Cape Town its a stormy, wet weekend. The best thing to do in this weather is stay indoors and indulge in warm chocolatey treats, curled up around a fireplace. I’m not sure about you, but a fire always reminds me of S’mores and toasted marshmallows. What better way to combine it all than S’mores Brownies.

Ingredients:

• 113g unsalted butter
• 227g coarsely chopped chocolate
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (Natura Sugars soft light brown sugar is perfect)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• handful of chocolate blocks
• 1/2 cup biscuit crumb (I used tennis biscuits)
• 3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
2. Remove from the heat, pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly for approximately 8-10 minutes.
3. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 170°C.
4. Line a square or small rectangular brownie baking pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang on either end to remove the brownies easily after baking.
5. Once the chocolate and butter are cooled slightly, whisk in the caster and brown sugar.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition.
7. Whisk in the vanilla then gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt – careful not to over-mix.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
9. Bury blocks of chocolate in the batter for an extra chocolatey surprise and smooth the batter to even it out.
10. Gently sprinkle the biscuit crumbs on top.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan.
12. Remove brownies from the oven and top with marshmallows – covering the entire surface.
13. Return to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 3 minutes.
14. Marshmallows will warm and puff up (almost double in size).
15. Remove from oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
16. Once cooled, lift the baking paper out of the pan using the overhang on either end and cut into squares.
17. This can be served with ice cream or cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce if you really want a decadent treat 🙂
18. Enjoy!