S’mores Cookie Crumble Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One 4.4-ounce bar milk chocolate, such as Hershey’s, broken into
  pieces
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 sheets digestive biscuits, finely ground, or 1 cup store-bought
  graham cracker crumbs

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish
with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the ends of the pan
for lifting out the finished bars.
2) Stir together the ground grahams, flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Cream the butter, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy and combined; you are not trying to beat a great amount of air into the mixture. Add the graham mixture and continue to beat on low speed until just combined and large crumbles form.
3) Place about two-thirds of the mixture in the prepared pan and firmly
press down. Reserve a few pieces of the chocolate for garnish (about
1/2-ounce), and then scatter the rest of the chocolate pieces over the
base. Drop spoonfuls of the marshmallow creme over the chocolate,
stretching the creme so it covers more of the base. Drop the remaining
cookie batter in small clusters over the chocolate and creme so the
creme is mostly covered.
4) Bake until the dough is golden brown and the cookie in the center of the pan feels firm, about 40 minutes. The marshmallow creme will puff through the crumble and brown, and it will deflate as it cools. Cool in the pan at least 15 minutes.
5) Using the foil overhang, lift the crumble bars out of the pan. Melt the reserved pieces of chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth, and then drizzle over the cookies. Cut into sixteen 2-by2-inch squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cook’s Note: Working with marshmallow creme can be a sticky
experience. A light coating of nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil in
your measuring cup and on your spatula or spoon can make it a bit
easier to work with.