S'mores Cookies Recipe - Enjoy Summer in March!

Even though I live in the sunny Golden state, it still rains. And, because I live less than a mile from the beach (no, no, I'm not bragging, I swear!), it gets very cold and damp sometimes. Yesterday was one of those chilly, rainy Saturdays that demand copious amounts of tea and the baking of some new and exciting treat.

S'mores Cookies

While at the grocery store, I got a hankering for s'mores. As a former camp counselor, s'mores are a favorite summer treat. The stick fingers, the crumbling graham crackers, the oh-so-satisfying Hershey bars. To die for.

But, since it was cold and chilly and clearly not campfire season, I had to resort to a different method of fulfilling my craving. I searched the net and found this amazing recipe for s'mores cookies on The Girl Who Ate Everything, which is fast becoming a favorite food blog. Amazing recipes and even better photos!

Let me tell you. These. Cookies. Are. Amazing. Definitely not on the healthy list, but, after my boss and one of my coworkers and I worked for 12 hours on Friday, these were necessary. I will definitely be bringing them to work tomorrow!


Tip: Try them frozen. Absolutely devine.

So, straight from the mouth of The Girl Who Ate Everything:

S'mores Cookies
Source: Ice Cream Before Dinner

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. I used one 11x17 pan and one 9x13 pan but you can really use any sized pans you want.

Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). I used 16 graham cracker squares on one pan and 10 squares on another. You may have to add or remove graham crackers according to how much dough you have. If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.


Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight. (Note from Carrie - I chilled for an hour and it worked perfectly).

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square as seen in the picture above. Press down slightly with fingertips.


Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.

Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

Fresh from the oven, pre cooling and cutting.

Not-So-Red-Velvet Cupcakes with Old-Fashioned Velvet Icing

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Hi there Veggie Horizons readers! Things have been cra-a-a-zy in the Burgh. Yours truly has had every little moment of her free time absorbed by a myriad of exciting (non-food) related writing projects. Most notably, I've started an organization called Write On Pittsburgh, and have been taking on freelance work like wildfire!

But that doesn't mean that I haven't missed you, and it doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I've actually been saving this recipe since Valentine's day (embarrassing, I know). However, these cupcakes are so good that there's no reason not to make them this weekend!

Not-So-Red Velvet Cupcakes with Velveteen Icing

These are likely to be the moistest, most delicately flavored red velvet cupcakes you'll ever eat. The heaping helping of vanilla and 'just-right' amount of cocoa is inspiring. On top of the taste (pun intended) the icing is creamy, and doesn't harden when chilled like buttercream. The lack of artificial food coloring means that they're not particularly red, but I doubt anyone will stop stuffing their faces long enough to care. Once again, the recipe is adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tbs cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbs red food coloring or 1 3/4 tbs cherry juice + 1/4 tbs cornstarch (I used my very own homemade food coloring, recipe to come)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp chocolate extract 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a cupcake tin.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the almond milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

4. Add the oil, food coloring and extracts to the curdled soy milk and whisk well to combine. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and fold to combine, mixing just until large lumps disappear. 

5. Pour into liners and bake 18-20 minutes. 

6. Top with the Velveteen Icing (recipe follows)

Old-Fashioned Velvet Icing

I love this icing so much that I am thinking about abandoning buttercream entirely. It's so smooth, silky, and utterly delicious. It's for spreading, not piping, but don't let that stop you!

Ingredients

2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable margarine

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup superfine or castor sugar

Directions
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the flour and almond milk. Stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken and has a pudding like consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool two minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and press plastic wrap onto the top of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Allow mixture to cool completely before next step. (I usually put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.)

2. Cream together the shortening, margarine, vanilla, and sugar, then beat in cold custard. Beat with electric mixer 5-7 minutes. (This part is important, the longer you beat it the thicker and stiffer the frosting will become. I suggest beating for the full 7 minutes.) Frosting should become lighter in color and have a very creamy texture, similar to very thick whipped cream. Frost on cooled cupcakes.