S'mores--Grown-up Style

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• I have a confession to make. I was never a Girl Scout. In fact, it took just one Brownie meeting to convince me that this wasn't something I cared to pursue. I will also confess that the only camping I've ever done (outside of staying at a Red Roof Inn one time) happened while I was Principal of an elementary school and took the entire fifth grade on an overnight each year. There weren't any tents, but the bunk beds in the very austere cabins assured me that I'd made the right decision regarding my brief encounter with scouting. All this by way of explaining that s'mores are not something I've much experience with. 
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• Nevertheless, a few weeks ago there were recipes for s'mores cookies and cookie bars all over the internet and ever since I've been keeping an eye out for a jar of marshmallow fluff (something else I have no experience with). Today I found a jar of that ingredient during my weekly shopping trip and decided that I'd whip up a batch. "Whip" generally means a quick in-and-out of the kitchen before I move on to more interesting things like quilting and beading or vegging out in front of the TV for a housewives' marathon. This did not happen. 
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• I had no idea what I was getting into with this marshmallow fluff. Suffice it to say that next time I'm inclined to reach for the epoxy or the Crazy Glue, I might just reach for the fluff instead. After breaking a plastic spatula trying to wrestle it out of the jar and working up a sweat cleaning it off my hands and counter, I have new respect for chemistry in the kitchen.

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• Ingredients - 16 squares (7 Points Plus per serving)
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 oz dark chocolate chips
• 7.5 jar marshmallow creme/fluff 
• OPTIONAL:  a glass of your favorite wine, beer, or cocktail (see paragraph above and photos below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish or pan.
2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.  Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide the dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared dish or pan. Place dark chocolate chips over the dough. Drop the marshmallow creme or fluff in blobs all over the chocolate, spreading as well as possible. Take the remaining dough and pat out in small pieces on a sheet of waxed paper. Lay over the fluff, smoothing and patching as best you can to cover completely.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

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TASTE NOTES

Notwithstanding my battle with the marshmallow fluff and the ensuing clean up, these cookie bars were absolutely delicious. A little bit is more than enough between the sweetness of the graham cracker cookie and the fluff tempered with the richness of the dark chocolate. If you plan ahead--have that glass of wine at the ready and a sturdy wooden spoon to spoon out the fluff--you can make it out of the kitchen in less time than it took me. I'd also recommend not making these at the same time you're preparing dinner and making caramel for flan. This recipe is definitely a keeper.