Smore in a Jar!

Who doesn't instantly go crazy when you give them something made in an individual-portioned dish?  With all my bake sale comings and goings, marshmallow and fudgy brownie baking I had a lightbulb go off.  I love smores, but I had the version I grew up on - cardboard crackers sandwiching not quite melted chocolate and marshmallow you have tried in earnest browning to perfection!  Don't not light the campfire - but make it easier by creating this recipe for your next cookout and having a whole slew of smores done at once!

For this recipe I used a dozen 1/2 pint (8 oz) Kerr, Wide-Mouth canning jars which should run you $8 and give you little vessels to serve a multitude of things in - the possibilities are endless here people!  Obviously you can half this recipe and use the remaining homemade marshmallows, recipe here for something else.

NEXT, You will need:
2 packages (roughly 20) regular or honey graham crackers, NOT the sugared kind.
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick, unsalted butter, melted

Melt one stick unsalted butter in a medium bowl, set aside.  In a food processor fitted with the metal blade add 2 packages graham crackers.  Add 1/3 cup  sugar and process until crackers are all broken up, you may need to pulse it a few times to accomplish this.   Pour graham cracker mixture in with melted butter and stir to combine.  Add 1/4 cup mixture to the bottom of each jar, packing down with a smaller glass to make sure it is even.  Set aside.

NEXT, You will need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

11 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

3 eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla-bean paste

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

In a saucepan, melt butter, sugar and chocolate until smooth.  While chocolate mixture is melting, place eggs and vanilla-bean paste into bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment OR a regular bowl using a hand whisk and beat well.  Once chocolate is fully melted, then turn mixer on low and slowly pour in melted chocolate.  Turn mixer off and add flour, baking powder and salt - return mixer to low speed and mix to combine, using a spatula to scrape bowl sides and bottom to ensure ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour 1/2 cup batter between wells and bake in a 350 degree-preheated oven for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.   Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

NEXT, You will cut up marshmallows into quarters and stuff into jar making sure they are sticking out of the top, roughly ----- marshmallows per jar.  Place under a broiler until brown - serve immediately.