Ingredients
- Bottom Layer:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- Frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
- reserved 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-pound box powdered sugar
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Heat just until chocolate melts. Stir in sugar
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and nuts. Add them to the chocolate mixture. Stir well.
4. Stir in the vanilla and the eggs.
5. Spread the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan.
6. Make the cream cheese filling: start with the cream cheese. Cut off 2 ounces and reserve it for the frosting. If your cream cheese isn't soft enough to stir, heat it in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-20 seconds until you can stir it. If your next ingredient, the butter, is still cold, you can throw that in when you heat the cream cheese and do both together.
7. Combine the softened cream cheese with the butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Stir until it's smooth.
8. Add the beaten egg and stir until well combined.
9. Mix in the chopped nuts.
10. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Take the pan out of the oven, sprinkle the top with the miniature marshmallows, and put it back in the oven to bake an additional 2 minutes.
12. While the marshmallows are baking, start the frosting: Melt the butter in a two-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.
13. Break the unsweetened chocolate square into two parts and stir them into the butter.
14. Stir in the softened cream cheese and the milk. Heat the mixture until it can be stirred smooth.
15. Remove the saucepan from the heat and beat in the vanilla. Beat in approximately a cup of the powdered sugar. When that's incorporated, beat in another cup. Add the rest of the box and beat in. Stir the frosting until it's smooth.
16. When the frosting is smooth, spread it over the hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars, swirling it into the marshmallows. It'll be soft, but it will firm up as the bars cool.
17. Wait until the pan is cool to handle, then slip it into the refrigerator and let it chill for at least an hour.