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Toasted Marshmallow and Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

Toasted Marshmallow Salted Caramel Cookie Bars // take a megabite

You guys, these cookie bars are my valentine. They are my current favorite thing. I’d like to go on vacation with them. I probably would tell them secrets right before bed. I’d definitely make them waffles on the weekend and bring them on walks with Elliot. So now that things have gotten weird, let’s get honest. I ran out of marshmallow when topping these! That’s why I put a cursive chocolate love message in there! Sorry guys, It’s just that I’m too darn honest for my own good. But honesty is key in any relationship, right? And to be honest (the sequel) the little bits of chocolate add something splendid. So, I’m kinda glad the marshmallow ran out. My piping bag is half full these days.

Toasted Marshmallow Salted Caramel Cookie Bars // take a megabite

I brought most of these to Elliot’s vet and the receptionist said, “These taste like s’mores! Like a glimpse of summer.” (Or something like that. Sorry, Beth!) She’s totally right though! Switch out grahams for cookies and add caramel and boom, s’mores. I bet that’s why these are valentine-material. I wanted to post these on Friday, but I love them too much to wait. Can’t save them for marriage. Can’t save them for Friday.

Toasted Marshmallow Salted Caramel Cookie Bars // take a megabite

Marshmallow and Caramel Cookie Bars
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

cookie base –

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 t kosher salt

caramel

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 T light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 t fleur de sel
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

marshmallow, etc –

  • 2 egg whites
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

  1. Make cookie base. Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a 9″ square baking dish with parchment paper, overlapping 2 sides. Spray with cooking spray. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolk. Mix until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Add flour and salt and beat until dough just comes together. Transfer to prepared baking dish and pat into an even layer. Bake for 20-24 minutes. Set aside to cool. (I put it in the freezer for a little bit.)
  2. Make caramel. Combine the sugar and corn syrup with water in a medium saucepan, stirring carefully as to not splash the side of the pan. Cook over high heat until a thermometer reads 350 degrees F or until the mixture is a dark amber in color, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat, and slowly add the cream, and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream and set aside to cool. Pour about 1/4 cup over cookie base, or enough to form an even layer. Set bars in the fridge to chill.
  3. Make marshmallow. Using a large heat-proof bowl, mix the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt until combined. Set over a pot of simmering water  (double boiler -style) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot, about 3-6 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and beat 5-7 minutes, or until frosting is cool and stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Pipe over caramel on the cookie base, leaving a rectangle for a chocolate message.
  5. Write with chocolate. Melt chocolate chips. Transfer to a sandwich bag and then pipe shapes and words onto wax paper on a  plate. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Transfer to the cookie bars!

Yay! Click HERE for a printable pdf of the recipe above.

Toasted Marshmallow Salted Caramel Cookie Bars // take a megabite

Here are some of the steps, guys. P.S. I like your shoes.

58 thoughts on “Toasted Marshmallow and Salted Caramel Cookie Bars”

  1. “just a small hint of summer to come”…. pure heaven in those lovely cookies. You, my dear, have a gift! Thank you for always sharing with us!!

    Beth

  2. Oh my sparkly stars, these are just the most babely of bars! Can’t get enough of those toasted marshmallows and chocolate handwriting. Whenever I try to write with frosting or anything it looks like an insane ostrich got a hold of the frosting bag…mad props to you!

  3. Haha, I love your honesty. I thought what you did with the chocolate writing was super creative!!! I totally thought you did it on purpose! These bars are gorgeous!

  4. Hi! I had some questions about this recipe. Can I use store bought marshmallows and caramel in place of homemade? I think the homemade version would taste better, but I don’t have a dishwasher, so any chance to not dirty up my cooking bowls is appreciated. My second question is, how did you get that lovely browning on your marshmallow? Perhaps I’m missing the step in the recipe, but I didn’t see any instructions for it. Did you pop the tray back into the oven on broil, or use a torch, or what? Thank you! These look delicious and I can’t wait to make them.

  5. This recipe looks yummy! I, too, was wondering about when and how you toast the marshmallows? Are the bars broiled after they are “iced”? Also, how do you store these bars? Should they be refrigerated? Thank you.

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