Baking Chocolate Cherries S’more Cookie Bars couldn’t be easier! Layers of graham cracker cookie dough hold chocolate, marshmallows and cherries, inspired by our love for fireside s’mores. The family gave this rich chocolate cherry dessert a thumbs up especially after smoking it on my gas grill with Cowboy Brand Cherry Smoking Wood Chips.
Thank you Cowboy Charcoal for sponsoring Chocolate Cherry S’more Cookie Bars! Baking the s’more inspired dessert with my grandsons was super fun and yummy!
INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CHERRY S’MORE BARS
The Chocolate: You can use dark or milk chocolate chips or bread a chocolate bar into pieces. I think dark chocolate goes best with cherries plus giving the cookie bar richness.
The Cherries: Feel free to use any type of cherry from bing to rainier or a mix. The cherries can be dried cherries when fresh are not in season. Dried cherries will give the bars a wonderful chew. I don’t suggest frozen because it would be hard to work around the added liquid that frozen cherries would give.
The Marshmallows: Cut up standard size marshmallows if you do not have mini marshmallows. The first time I made Chocolate Cherry S’more bars I added the marshmallows right in the beginning and the marshmallows got a little more toasted than desired. So be sure to add the marshmallows half-way through the bake.
The Cookie Dough: Bits of crushed graham crackers mixed with standard cookie dough give the essence of a graham cracker s’more. A fun substitute would be chocolate chip cookie dough!
WHY MY TRIBE LOVES CHOCOLATE CHERRY S’MORE BARS
- The combination of sweet and salty: The graham cracker provides a slightly salty flavor, which complements the sweetness of the marshmallow and chocolate.
- The contrast of textures: The graham cracker cookie dough is soft, the marshmallow is gooey, the chocolate is smooth, and the cherries are juicy. This contrast of textures makes each bite interesting and satisfying.
- The nostalgia factor: S’mores are often associated with camping trips and other outdoor adventures. This can bring back fond memories for people, making them even more enjoyable.
- The campfire flavor: When you toast the marshmallow on a grill, it develops a smoky flavor that adds another layer of complexity to the s’more cookie bar.
- The pop of freshness: The fresh cherries give a surprise of juicy summertime flavor. Cherries and chocolate are a classic flavor combination.
- They’re easy to make: S’more Cookie Bars can be made with just a few simple ingredients, which makes them a great option for a quick and easy dessert.
- They’re portable: S’more Cookie Bars are the perfect dessert for a picnic or a camping trip. You can make them ahead of time and pack them in a cooler, or you can make them over a campfire.
- They’re versatile: Feel free to customized to your liking. You can use different types of chocolate, flavored marshmallows, and other flavors of cookie dough. You can incorporate other ingredients, such as nuts, fruit, candy, or sprinkles.
All of these factors combine to make Chocolate Cherry S’more Cookie Bars a truly delicious and satisfying treat. The cherries to give it that WOW factor! So fun!
WHY BAKE ON YOUR GRILL
- For Flavor: Baking on a gas grill, with Cowboy Brand Smoking Wood Chips, is a fun and easy way to add smoky flavor to your favorite desserts.
- Summertime Savior: My kitchen oven heats up my kitchen and then my husband whines. So in the summer, I love baking outside to reduce working our air conditioner.
- Thanksgiving Savior: During the holidays, baking on my outdoor grill is a must because the oven is full!
- For Fun: It is fun to show-off your grilling skills by baking on a grill. All you have to do is use indirect heat similar to your oven.
HOW TO BAKE ON A GAS GRILL
- Adjust the grill burners to cook with indirect heat. This means that directly under your baking pan the burners will not be on.
- Preheat your grill to the desired temperature before you start baking just as you would your oven. This will help ensure that your food cooks evenly.
- Use a baking sheet or grill pan that is oven-safe. I like the consistency of heat retention of cast iron pans.
- For extra protection, I like to invert a rimmed baking pan over the indirect heat. The skillet, with the cookie dough, is placed top of the inverted rimmed pan.
- Reduce the baking time by 5 minutes or at least take a peek at the food. Cast iron pans are hot and will keep baking the food after removing it from the grill.
UNDERSTANDING OVEN AND GRILL HEAT
Here is a comparison of baking in a gas outdoor grill versus baking in a convection or conventional kitchen oven:
Gas Outdoor Grill:
The heat source comes from flames in the burners. The temperature range: 300-450 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking method will be indirect heat, with the food placed on a baking sheet or in a grill pan away from the heat source. The #1 advantage is food can have a smoky flavor, especially when smoking wood chips are added to the smoker box. Yum!
Convection Oven:
The heat source comes from the fan that circulates hot air around the food. The temperature range: 150-450 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking method will be circulating hot air around the baking dish. #1 advantage is that food can bake faster and more evenly.
Conventional Oven:
The heat source comes from the bottom and sides of the oven. The temperature range: 150-500 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking method will be heat penetrating the baking dish.
In Conclusion:
Using a gas outdoor grill to bake means adjusting the grill burners indirect cooking. A delicious smoky flavor can be added by using Cowboy Brand Smoking Chips! The ability to smoke desserts and baked bread on a grill really marks the #1 advantage versus baking in your kitchen oven. The temperature can be a bit tricky to control but with practice you will get the hang of it.
A convection oven, on the other hand, uses a fan to circulate hot air around the food, which cooks it more evenly. A conventional oven uses heat from the bottom and sides of the oven, which can also cook food evenly, but it may not give food as much flavor as baking on a grill.
Ultimately, the best way to learn how to bake on the grill is simply to start with inexpensive ingredients. Pick up a $2.00 cake mix and give it a try. It is definitely through experience that we become talented bakers in the kitchen or outdoor kitchen!
HOW TO MAKE S’MORE COOKIE BARS
- Generously great a 10-inch cast iron skillet. If you have a different grill safe baking pan feel free to use it. The pan can be square or round.
- Use a hand mixer or standard mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed, for 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat another minute.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Stir in the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt, and clove in a medium bowl. Ground clove pairs with chocolate and cherries so well. If you don’t have any ground clove substitute with cinnamon.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Press the graham cookie dough into the greased skillet with a spatula or greased fingers.
- Arrange cherries and chocolate chips on top.
- Preheat the grill to 350°F (177°C) indirect heat. Place 2 cups of Cowboy Brand Smoking Cherry Wood Chips in a smoker box. Place the smoker box over a medium high burner until it begins to smoke then it can be moved to a medium low or low burner. Once the smoke begins, adjust burners to cook at 350°F INDIRECT heat.
- Invert a rimmed baking sheet over the indirect heat source.
- Bake cookie bars for 15 minutes then add the marshmallows.
- Bake the bars for another 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool bars completely. Slice into wedges.
CHECK OUT COWBOY BRAND DESSERT RECIPES HERE
CHECK OUT COWBOY BRAND WOOD PRODUCTS
LOVE CHOCOLATE AND CHERRIES? CHECK OUT THIS DESSERT!
Chocolate Chery S’more Cookie Bars
Chocolate Cherry S’more Cookie Bars is inspired by the fun and flavors that are layered in our fireside favorite s’mores. Layers of graham cracker cookie dough hold chocolate, marshmallows and marshmallows. The family gave this rich dessert a thumbs up especially after smoking it on my gas grill with Cowboy Brand Cherry Smoking Wood Chips.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove or cinnamon
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full-sheet graham crackers)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups pitted cherries, cut into halves
- 2 cups mini marshmallows or cut standard marshmallows in 4 pieces
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Prepare the Skillet
Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Do not preheat the skillet for this recipe.
Make the Cookie Dough
Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Do not preheat the skillet for this recipe.
Use a mixer and mixing bowl to cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, salt and cloves until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Press 3/4 of the dough into the prepared skillet.
Assemble the Cookie Bar
Toss the cherries in an additional tablespoon or two of flour, and layer on the cookie dough with the chocolate chips. I suggest adding the marshmallows half-way through the baking time to avoid over toasting.
Top with the remaining reserved cookie dough.
Prepare the Grill
Place 1 1/2 cups Cowboy Cherry Smoking Chips into a smoker box or perforated foil packet.
Place the smoker box over the hottest burner, and heat until wood chips release
Invert a grill safe baking pan onto the center of the grill.
Set the grill for 350°F.
Bake the Cookie Bars
Place the skillet of s'more cookie dough on the inverted baking pan over indirect heat.
Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool bars completely.
Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make sure your grill is clean and free of debris before you start baking.
- If you don't have a smoker box, you can place two handfuls of chips on heavy duty aluminum foil and fold them into a sealed packet by pinching the opened ends. Pierce with a fork a few times so that the smoke can drift out.
- If you're using a cast iron skillet, do not preheat it before adding the dough.
Let the Chocolate Cherry S’more Cookie Bars cool completely before cutting them into pieces if you are planning to take the bars to an event, this will allow for the bars to retain their shape. - If you are serving the bars warm with ice cream, then wait 15 minutes after removing the Chocolate Cherry S’more Cookie Bars from the grill before slicing.
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