June 2: Rocky Road Bars

Rocky Road Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, cold
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups toasted and chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9 by 13-inch metal pan with nonstick foil.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add the brown sugar ad stir until blended. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for about 1 minute or until frothy, then whisk in the sugar and the vanilla. Using a large silicone scraper or mixing spoon, stir in the chocolate mixture, followed by the salt and the flour.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
5. Return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes, or just until the marshmallows puff up. Let cool completely in the pan, then chill for about 1 hour or until the top is firm. For an even cleaner cut, freeze for about 30 minutes before cutting. To serve, lift from the pan, using the foil as a handle, set on a cutting board, and cut into 24 bars.

Addition of cocoa powder to butter

Thoughts: I feel like I have made these bars before but I think that I made rocky road cookies in the past. There were no issues making these bars except I hate that cocoa powder gets everywhere! I used slightly more chocolate chips so I could cover the pan. I only had pecans so I substituted them for walnuts and only put it on half. I decided to serve them warm so they were gooey. The people at work thought that if I had chilled them, the brownie would've been hard and tough to chew.They were very good in any case.

June 3: Mud Bars

Mud Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups butterscotch chips
1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
2 cups, dry roasted lightly salted peanuts
2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Line a 9 inch square pan with nonstick foil.
2. Combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a large saucepan; heat on medium-low heat, stirring often, until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts and marshmallows.
3. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan and chill for at least 2 hours. Grasp the foil, lift from the pan, set on a cutting board, and cut into 30 pieces. The mud should remain stored in the refrigerator and will keep for a couple of months in an airtight container.

Thoughts: This was a VERY easy recipe. The only variation that I made was that I topped it with peanuts instead of mixing them in. It makes a very rich and thick piece of chocolate. It was good. It tasted mostly of chocolate (obviously) and peanut butter...not so much butterscotch. Patrick didn't think he would like it because of the thickness and texture, but it got a thumbs up!