Happy New Year!
I have been absolutely horrible about updating my blog over the holiday season. I did a little bit of baking and a little bit of crafting but have generally been in a somewhat of a creative rut. I've got lots of plans for the new year, though, and will have a flurry of posts soon :)
I made these bars over Christmas after seeing the idea on Pinterest (yes, still obsessed). I called them "coal" and gave a batch to my nephew. The process for making these is the same as Rice Krispie treats - very easy! I am thinking about trying other cookies to see what else might work. The oreos work well since they aren't a super sweet cookie and the mini peanutbutter cups I added provide a nice salty touch. These look quite a bit like brownies but are chewy like Rice Krispie treat.
Marshmallow Oreo Bars
Ingredients
1 package oreo cookies
1 package marshmallows
4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
toppings such as mini peanut butter cups (optional)
- Prepare pan by lightly greasing (I used a 9"x9" pyrex pan but anything works, since you aren't baking it. If you use a larger pan then your bars will just not be as thick)
- Crush oreos (the whole cookie, including filling) in a food processor until fine crumbs. You can also crush them by putting them in a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin. The finer you get the cookie crumbs, the more consistent the color/texture of you bar will be. I wanted mine to look very dark without a lot of chunks or streaks so crushed them as fine as I could.
- Melt butter and set aside.
- Microwave marshmallows on high until melted (about 2 minutes?). If you make Rice Krispie treats then you know the deal. They will puff up quite a bit but should stir easily when you stir them with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Stir butter into marshmallows. Work somewhat quickly as you don't want the marshmallow mixture to cool.
- Add cookie crumbs and stir vigorously, folding and mixing to make sure there are no dry pockets. I'm not gonna lie - this is a messy and difficult process. The faster you work the better.
- As soon as it is sufficiently mixed, pour mixture into prepared pan, making sure to press into corners. A metal spoon or stiff spatula is helpful to get as much out of the bowl as possible.
- If using, sprinkle toppings and press them down into the top. Let cool and set about an hour. Wrap airtight.
The view from the (frigid, windy) bridge across the Mississippi, heading from our neighborhood down to the Winter Carnival parade....
...and the white squirrel who lives in the tree next to our house. We call him "Al" - actually, we call all white squirrels Al (short for Albino). I think he's happy that there is finally a little snow around to camouflage himself.
The parade was fun! There were Vulcans and Klondike Kates (crazy traditions that I barely understand), bands, and unicyclers.
A trip to Mojo Monkey Donuts! Yay! This place is right on my way to work and has been open for months. Lucky for my waistline that I hate getting up early more than I love donuts :) Still, it's gotten rave reviews so I was excited that I had time to stop by this morning.
Mmmm....Mango Coconut, Maple Bacon, and Carrot Cake! I tried all three. My favorite was the mango coconut and I'm not usually a huge fan of raised donuts. Delicious!
