… and the winner of the “A Lot On Your Plate Use What You’ve Got” Brownie Bake-off is … (Guest Post)

Congrats to: Sara @ By The Cook Book for her S’more’s Brownies!

Again, you all did such an amazing job and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to participate in the bake-off.

I will be hosting another bake-off next month, so if you didn’t win this time around, there’s always next time!  Please don’t be offended if you didn’t win this category.  It was extremely hard to choose a winner and you all should be very proud of yourselves.  You’re all tremendously talented.

Now for the winning recipe & the post that went with it:

On Saturday, we thought it would be fun to have a movie party after dinner and eat some popcorn and ice cream. So, we went grocery shopping, came home, ate some fried chicken, and curled up on the couch with our treats to watch Rango.

I think we made it halfway through the movie before we all started dozing off on the couch. Little Marco was so sound-asleep that he had to be carried up into his bed.

Somewhere in there, I decided that S’mores Brownies would be a great addition at the movie party, and luckily I had all of the ingredients on hand! I made this once before, using this recipe from the food network– with the usual variation or two. They are always a big hit!

I highly recommend using a brownie pan that has a slicer insert. I have two: The Perfect Brownie and Slice Solutions. I used the second one for this recipe because it makes bigger servings. You can, of course, just use a regular baking pan, but you should line the pan with aluminum foil so you can easily lift the brownies out. A springform pan would also work nicely.

S’more’s Brownies

Step 1: Combine 6 tbsp melted butter with 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs. Pack the mixture into the bottom of your pan (be sure to spray with non-stick spray) and bake for 20 minutes at 325°

Step 2: While the crust is baking, chop a 4 oz unsweetened chocolate bar and melt it in the microwave with 1 stick of butter, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup light brown sugarand 3/4 cup white sugar to the melted chocolate. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cold eggs to the batter and combine well.

Step 3: Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and stir until it’s incorporated. Pour the batter over the graham cracker crust and insert the brownie separator into the batter and push firmly down until you feel it slicing through the graham cracker layer. Be sure to coat all sides of the apparatus with cooking spray (I forgot this step and most of my brownies got messed up– they were still delicious but unfit to be photographed). Bake for 40-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Step: Pull your brownie squares out of the pan and line them up on a baking sheet. If you used a regular pan with foil, lift them from the pan and slice them before placing them on the baking sheet. Squirt a little bit of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup on top of each square and pile some mini marshmallows on top. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the marshmallows begin to brown. You’ll want to keep a very close eye on them!

Serve warm with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Please be sure to check out ALL of the other participant’s recipes as well! 

Happy Valentines Day Brownies by Trang Quynh

Surprising Rich Double Chocolate Brownies submitted by Lucy @ Lucy’s Friendly Foods

Diary Free Peppermint Brownies submitted by: Baking, Photography, & Sarcasim

Death by Chocolate Brownies submitted by: Rainbow Bakery

Fudgy Brownies submitted by: Ajo263 @ Love Bake Chocolate

Amaretto Brownies submitted by: Becky @ The Optimistic Baker

Strawberry Fluff Brownies submitted by: Natasha @ Writer Reader Baker Bride

Raspberry Goat Cheese Swirl Brownies submitted by: Cynthesizing Food and Fun

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies submitted by: Pajama Baker

Brownie Cookies aka “Brooksters” submitted by: Ashley @ Ash Eats …  A Lot

The Caffeine Addict’s Molten Mocha Brownies submitted by: Gradually Ginger

Ultimate Brownies Part 1 submitted by: Fika and More

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies submitted by: My Yummy Local Life

Salted Caramel Brownies submitted by: Hollie @ Hollie’s Hobbies

World’s Best Brownies & Cookie Dough Brownie Bites submitted by: At 350 Degrees

Hello Dollys submitted by: Giovanna @ Blue Jellybeans

Four Chocolate Brownies submitted by Darla @ Darla Cooks

Raw Chocolate Brownies submitted by: Fussy Foodie Adventures

…and although these were not brownies, here are some very awesome and worth checking out entries:

Apple Pear and Chai Crumble Pie submitted by: Lazy B* Cooking

Crab Bisque Made Easy submitted by: tammyehoney

Banana Walnut Pomegranate Infused Muffins submitted by: Katie @ Walk In Love

A Rhubar For All Good Eggs submitted by: Grow and Cook

Sopersatta and Cheese Puff Pastries submitted by Virginia @  Mrs. Butterfingers

Chai Tea Walnut Biscotti submitted by: This Bountiful Backyard

If there was anyone I missed, PLEASE contact me and let me know!  The last thing I want to do is leave out any of the fabulous recipes I received.

Be sure to check back for next months bake-off category!

Happy Tuesday!

- J