Mississippi Mud Bars
After we left West Virginia skiing last week, we drove to Wilmington, NC. Wilmington is pretty out of the way, it was almost 2 hours off I-95, but we wanted to make a short visit. One of the many places we visited was a local train museum. Since we got back, my son has been completely addicted to trains. I have watched with him or listened to the movie, “The Polar Express” now at least 30 times. But I’m not tired of it. I am so glad he is old enough to be passionate about something other than a food item.
So in memory of his first obsession, that is if you don’t take into account his nursing and hair obsession, it was chocolate. I made these Mississippi mud bars today for him. They are a chocolate lover’s dream.
Yield: Serves 4
Mississippi Mud Bars
5.00 stars (1 reviews)
Loading...Ingredients:
Crust
24 Oreo cookies
4 tablespoons melted butter
Brownie Layer
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup melted butter, about body temperature, make sure it’s not too hot
1/2 cup chopped nuts, I used walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
Frosting
1/2 cup dark chocolate peanut butter, or regular smooth peanut butter, plus 3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder if you have it)
2 cups confectioners powder
1 – 3 tablespoons milk or cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cookies in food processor and pulse until very smooth. Add butter and pulse until well combined. Press crust in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Sift flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add eggs and melted butter. Make sure melted butter isn’t so hot it’s going to cook the eggs in the batter. It should feel about body temperature. Mix until well combined. Add vanilla. Mix well. Fold in nuts, chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows.
3. Pour batter over crust and spread carefully and evenly out. Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees, or until bars pass the toothpick test.
4. While bars are baking, mix all ingredients for frosting. Add enough milk or cream until frosting is the desired consistency. While bars are warm, frost. Let cool before cutting into bars.
