S’mores Without The Campfire
My children think they love s’mores. I know I love s’mores — those warm, toasty marshmallows, sandwiched between two graham cracker squares, and oh, the oozing milk chocolate from the heat of the marshmallow… it’s pure heaven, I tell you. Every year when it’s time to go camping, my children clamor for the s’mores. Eagerly they scurry up to the campfire, sticks in hand, and patiently look for their marshmallow to become that perfect golden brown. Perhaps they munch on a graham cracker or two while waiting, and most certainly, the chocolate needs to be sampled. Finally, the marshmallows are ready and the s’mores are assembled. They sit down with huge grins on their faces and take a bite. Instantly, marshmallow and chocolate ooze out the sides and my son then hands me his s’more, finished after just one bite. My daughter may last a few bites more, but it isn’t long before the mess overwhelms her as well, and both children decide to nibble on the makings, rather than the finished product.
I recently decided that the idea of a s’more would translate very well to a bar cookie. Portable, and decidedly less messy than the traditional creation, I set out to create the perfect facsimile of the campfire s’more tradition. I put the bars together fairly quickly, and then took them along with us for a holiday weekend. No sooner had I set the bars out than they were gone — eagerly devoured by both grown-ups and children alike. I knew I had found the perfect solution for my mess-phobic children when I saw both of them slowly chewing with their eyes closed, savoring every bite of their Simple S’more Bars. These bars are easy enough to make for any occasion, and they are also simple enough that a child can make them with very little difficulty. Depending on the age of your children, they may need a little assistance in navigating the oven, but overall, this kid-friendly recipe is sure to have everyone clamoring for s’more.
Simple S’more Bars 
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray- make sure to spray the sides as well.
In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix well to combine. Add the melted butter to the oat mixture and stir together. Press the mixture into the bottom of your 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes, remove from the oven.
Sprinkle with half of your chocolate chips, then all of the marshmallows, and finally, the last 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Place back in the oven and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly golden brown.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To cut into bars, remove the bars from the pan, using the foil to pull it out and set the bars on a cutting board. Spray a knife with cooking spray before cutting the bars evenly. Cut into 24 bars, spraying the knife again as needed.
