i'd rather be baking

A few weeks ago sweet Annelies from Attune Foods offered to send me a couple of boxes of their organic graham crackers to play around with. How fun! Of course I said yes. And then some butter and a lot of sugar and eggs later, this happened.

I’ll admit, it was Ryan’s idea. I made a graham cracker crust and topped it with a brownie layer, then whipped some meringue and spread it on top. And oh my, the deliciousness that ensued.

It should be noted that these graham crackers are completely delicious on their own. They’re crisp and almost flaky with a subtle sweetness. And they’re good for you! What a deal.

S’mores Bars

Makes about 15 bars

For the graham cracker crust
1 sleeve graham crackers (9-10)
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Line a 9 x 13″ pan with aluminum foil and set aside. In a food processor (or in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin), crush graham crackers until finely ground. In a medium bowl, stir melted butter into graham cracker crumbs until combined. Pour mixture into pan and, with your hands, press into the pan until an evenly distributed crust is formed. Refrigerate the crust while making the other components.

For the brownie layer
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, butter, applesauce and water. Add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture along with chocolate chips and stir until well combined. Spread brownie batter onto graham cracker crust and set aside.

For the meringue
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites. Start on low speed and gradually increase to high speed. When the egg whites look like loose foam, gradually add the sugar and continue beating on high speed. Beat until the meringue looks like soft serve ice cream. If you remove the whisk and turn it meringue-side up, and the meringue doesn’t droop, it’s ready.

Carefully spread the meringue atop the brownie layer. Cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit your pan, butter it lightly, and press it gently on top of the meringue.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until meringue is lightly toasted and everything is starting to pull away from the edge of the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. If you like, refrigerate bars before slicing – they’re easier to slice when cold! Enjoy!

High-Altitude Notes: Bake for 25-30 minutes total at 375°F.

*This is a sponsored post. Graham crackers were provided for my use in this recipe but my opinions are my own.