Backyard Camp Out & Mmm D'licious: S'mores Bars!

This being Memorial weekend, and the kick-of of summer, we had planned to take the kids camping in the local mountains for a night. When it came down to it, we decided it would still be too difficult with Emmy being so little and we didn't want to disturb her sleeping arrangements if we didn't have to.  We just moved her crib into the kids room, and they are all finally getting used to the new (at times louder) situation. So we decided we'd wait to do the real tent camping business till they are all a little bigger, but in the mean time, we could do a backyard campout!

And oh man were they excited!

They had so much fun helping set up the tent and roasting marshmallows, and eating s'mores! And I wasn't sure if Claire would last in the tent, but she did and they all had a blast! 

blurry- but here we are in the tent!

My Jacky Boy- all tucked in snug as bug, and ready for bed! He was in seventh heaven. He loves camping with Daddy and thought it was so fun to do it in the backyard! 

I slept in my bed so I could listen for Emmy (and because really...) so in the morning, I brought out hot cocoa with marshmallows for them! It was really fun!

In keeping with the Camp out theme, I thought it would be fun to try a recipe I saw on pinterest, for S'mores Bars! I modified the recipe a little so I'm posting my version! They were really delicious! Although, really, half the fun of a S'more is roasting the marshmallows and sitting by the campfire, so I wouldn't say this should take the place of real s'mores. It's just a delicious dessert. Perfect to take to a Backyard BBQ (which is what I did) or to a potluck or a birthday party!

Mmm D'Licious: S'mores Bars

Ingredients:

2 sleeves graham crackers

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 Hershey's milk chocolate bars

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1 C unsalted butter 

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

3 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 375

Line baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl cream sugars with softened butter.

Add eggs- mix.

Add vanilla- mix.

In another bowl mix dry ingredients.

Mix into wet ingredients gradually.

Add Chocolate chips.

Mix in 1 Cup of the mini marshmallows

Set aside or refrigerate.

"Cookie" batter. 

Break graham crackers into squares and fill the cookie sheet. They should be close and touching. *Note: I used Trader Joe's Graham Crackers and they do not break into perfect halves, and they are not as sweet as Honey Maid. Just use Honey Maid. :-)

Scoop dough balls onto each square using your cookie scoop.

Mmm.

Put them in the oven for 5 minutes.

Take them out and press a chocolate square onto each cookie. This also helps the dough spread a little more. 

Press the remaining 1/2 c marshmallows into any holes.  

Before they went back into the oven.

Place them back into the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the marshmallows are toasted! 

After.

Take out and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack. 
It can be refrigerated if you need to it to set a little quicker.
 

Go ahead, have a piece. And then have
S'more!!!