As the daughter of a pastry chef, I've had quite a few brownies in my lifetime. My mom has always turned out batch after batch of perfection and I've never been able to look at any brownies that weren't hers with the same sugar-glazed look of love in my eyes. They just didn't hold the appeal that hers did. That was until I tried this recipe, and suddenly I had something that could potentially rival the best brownie of my life. That's really saying something.

I used Smitten Kitchen's "Best Cocoa Brownies" recipe, (which really is as wonderful as the title suggests) and then I made a few simple adjustments for the "s'mores" elements. I was doubtful there for a while, but these brownies (& as always, Smitten Kitchen) did not let me down. They have the silkiest consistency and the richness of the cocoa really stands out in a way that normal cocoa brownies just can't seem to muster up the strength for. I may never use another recipe to bake brownies again, that's how much I love these. So, before I keep babbling on about how delicious these are, here's the recipe so you can try them out yourself.

For the brownies:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup all-purpose flour


For the graham cracker crust:
A decent chunk of graham cracker squares (I used probably 12-15, you can just eyeball this part based on how thick or thin you prefer your crust to be)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter


For the marshmallow topping:
1/3 cup chocolate chips
A whole pile of mini marshmallows- again, use as many as you want for how thick you want your layer to be, just make sure to mostly cover the top of the brownie pan!

Method:  Position a rack in the lower third of your oven & preheat to 325°F. Line the inside of an 8x8 inch baking dish with baking paper or foil & lightly grease the bottom & sides. Leave a little overhand on two opposite sides to make removing it & cooling it a little easier.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder & salt in a large heat proof bowl, then place this on top of a pan filled with simmering water on the stovetop. Stir this occasionally until the butter has melted and the ingredients are combined. This process takes a little while, so in the meantime, get started on your crust.

Add the graham crackers to a small Ziploc bag, seal it, and then break them up using a rolling pin or something heavy. Take your butter and place it in a heatproof dish to melt it- about 30 seconds in the microwave. Remove the graham cracker crumbs from the bag and add them to the butter mixture, stirring until completely combined. Then, spread this out in the base of your dish and press down until smooth. You can choose to pre-bake this before you add the other elements to allow it to set, but I found that mine set just fine when only baked once. 
 
Once your brownie mixture is combined, remove it from the heat and allow to cool until it's just warm. It will look gritty at first- the texture of mine was similar to a thick bread dough at first (see photo) but once the eggs and flour are added, it smooths out beautifully. Stir in the vanilla and then add the eggs, one by one, stirring vigorously after each one. Once the batter looks shiny, well blended & nice and thick, add in the flour and stir it until you can't see it any longer. Then, beat the mixture together for 40 or so more strokes.


Spread the brownie mixture evenly over your crust in the pan, and bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges just moist with batter. For me, this took about 30-33 minutes. Remove the pan just before you think it's done. Switch your oven onto the broiler element. Add the chocolate chips, spreading them out evenly and individually every inch or so like a grid. Then, add your marshmallows and place the pan back in the oven under the broiler. The marshmallows will start to char quite quickly, so I recommend standing by the oven for this next part! Watch the pan until you can see the marshmallows just start to brown on top and remove it immediately. This took about a minute for me. Let sit for a few minutes, then transfer the brownies onto a cooling rack by picking up the foil. I put my brownies in the fridge to let them set and cool for a moment, too, in hopes of cutting them with cleaner lines. But when you have a cookie base and a sticky top, clean cuts are not destined to happen. Luckily, these things look beautiful regardless, and taste better than you can imagine.


Let me know if you use this recipe & how it works out for you! Hope you all have a happy Sunday.
Love,
Sam xo