黑料福利社

Traditionally, our family spends the Fourth of July weekend at the lake with friends who may as well be family. We spend hours on the water surfing, tubing, jumping and cruising, then rinse and repeat until we're inevitably sunburned and the kids are sprawled in every corner of the boat, wrapped in towels and fast asleep.

When we finally make it off the water, it's a bit of a race to fire up the grill and make dinner before it's time to head back out for fireworks. Usually by early July, there are restrictions on outdoor burning, if not a burn ban, so sitting by a campfire making s'mores while we not-so-patiently wait for the fireworks show is out of the question.

This year, I've got what I think might be a genius solution to everyone's love of a s'more, no campfire required. These easy s'mores bars are a total crowd-pleaser and are so good you'll be swatting hands away from the pan while they cool.

A cookie-bar base is loaded with crushed graham crackers for that classic flavor, but with the ease of making an entire batch at once. Marshmallow fluff is the perfect gooey filling, paired with a generous sprinkle of chocolate chips and a bit more of the cookie base crumbled across the top.

The result is a sweet, gooey s'more you can bake in the oven and slice into pieces for a crowd. We accidentally discovered these bars are extra delicious served over vanilla ice cream, so let me be the first to invite you to scoop yourself a bowl and top it with a piece of s'mores bar.

Wishing you a lovely, safe and delicious Independence Day. Hopefully a batch of s'mores bars makes it onto the menu. I can promise you won't regret it.

S'mores Bars

鈥� 1/2 cup softened salted butter

鈥� 3/4 cup brown sugar

鈥� 1 large egg

鈥� 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

鈥� 1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve)

鈥� 1 cup all-purpose flour

鈥� 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

鈥� 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

鈥� 1 cup marshmallow fluff

鈥� 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Using a handheld mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine, then add to the butter mixture. Mix until a dough just forms.

Press about two-thirds of the dough into the prepared pan, creating an even layer across the bottom. Spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough. This can be a bit sticky, so do the best you can and don't overthink it.

Scatter the chocolate chips over the marshmallow layer, then crumble the remaining dough across the top.

Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the marshmallow layer is lightly browned and the cookie base feels firm when a toothpick is inserted into the center.

Remove the bars from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes. Lift the parchment paper from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

For a delicious dessert, add a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to a bowl and top with a s'mores bar. To take it up another notch, make a homemade "Blizzard" by mixing slightly softened ice cream with pieces of the s'mores bar. Scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy.