Birthday Brownies

I FINALLY had a chance to do some baking this weekend! As much as my body probably needed a break from the sugar, I was really happy to be back in the kitchen. This past Sunday we invited some friends over before Chris' impending departure, and it was also our friend Emily's birthday. I've known Emily since college, and thanks to her, I met Chris. I searched long and hard for something that was not simply brownies. Then I found it...Smores Brownies! They sounded really good, and the picture that went with them made them look mouthwatering delicious. I did make one giant detour from the original recipe, instead of following the recipe for the brownie part, I used a mix. In all honesty, I really like brownies from a box, and since it saved a lot of time and the combining of different ingredients, it was the perfect idea.

Results? Not anything like the picture. They were hard to cut with the marshmallow on top because the knife kept getting stuck on the gooeyness of the mallows. Taste wise...2 thumbs up! Rave reviews all around, and no one minded that they weren't the prettiest things. I still recommend making them, but maybe not for a bake off :)

Ingredients
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownies:

1 box brownie mix (for 8x8 pan)

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.