Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bars

As the car barrels down the highway at a steady pace, I find myself sitting in the backseat, writing to you. The sun is shining through the window, sending a brilliant glare onto my computer screen; so bright I find myself needing a pair of sunglasses. Between reading books and staring out at the brown, snowless landscape through the window, I've successfully passed seven hours strapped in one place. I'm headed to the mountains for a weekend getaway filled with warm fireplaces, fresh snow, and a pair of skis strapped to my feet.

Everyone needs a vacation now and then.

As anyone who has ever taken a road trip knows, they require a different class of food altogether. There are traditions and rituals that must be followed, either passed down from parent to child or evolved from assorted friendships. For instance, I have a friend who insists on buying a bag of Fig Newtons before we take on the road. A healthy snack, she claims (but they are not quite so healthy after you've eaten your way through nine or ten).

Another friend and I always stock up on beef jerky and soda at the nearest gas station. We eat until parched from the salty meat and sick from the carbonation. Why we insist on doing this, I'll never know, but it is a sin to break a tradition once it has been set. Beef jerky and soda it will always be, whether I like it or not.

Growing up and traveling with my own family, road trips were one of the rare occasions my mother would fill the car with candy, cookies, soda, and other forbidden delights. With so many prohibited treats within reach, it made the fact that we were stuck in a car for countless hours bearable (and, thinking back, perhaps that is where my mother's tradition started in the first place). Even as I sit here now, surrounded by bags of candy and pretzels, I've found myself contributing to this madness. In preparation for the trip, I made a batch of these chocolate caramel crispy bars. After testing them out on the road, I can attest that they were a very good idea.

Nevertheless, the mountains have started appearing over the horizon. Living on the flat, golden plains, I often forget how tall they really stand. So, if you'll excuse me, it seems I have a bit more window watching to do.

What are your road trip food traditions?

These Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bars are crispy rice cereal bars with attitude. Made in the same method as the traditional, a healthy portion of chocolate and rich caramel sauce are added to the melted marshmallows to create the only variant. When taking a bite, the chocolate and marshmallow hit the tongue first, followed by a smooth caramel finish. These are simple to make and you may find them disappearing before you were ready to see them go.

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Campfire S'mores Brownies

Digging through the pantry cupboards this weekend, I spotted exactly three boxes of graham crackers and two bags of marshmallows (one mini and one full-size). S'mores, I reminisced. Sweet, sticky s'mores. In my home, these ingredients are rarely used for another purpose. Certainly the graham crackers are used for a lovely tart crust now and then, and the marshmallows fit perfectly atop a mug of steaming cocoa, but these ingredients will always be two components in what should be a trio of three.

With summer's heat long gone, it seemed a shame to keep these ingredients safe until the next warm summer's eve. I pulled them off the pantry shelf and set to work.

If you've been with me for a short while, you might imagine that I love the occasional s'more now and again. However, if you've been with me for some time, you know the sticky, messy truth. The word love may be not be enough to describe how I feel. I've shared S'mores Pie and S'mores Sundaes with you. I've even entered my original S'mores Cupcakes into a cupcake baking competition.

There may have been even more recipes, but I didn't want to scare you off. There is a fine line between fun and fanatic.

It's true that my love for s'mores lies partly in the unique flavor combination of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, but the majority of it is rooted in memories. Sweet, sweet, memories of hot summer nights. Of blazing campfires, folk songs, and sticky fingers. Of deep conversation, giggling, and cool summer breezes. Of warm faces, crackling logs, and marshmallows lost to the flames.

In the midst of winter's wind and ice, dreams of summer feel just right.

These Campfire S'mores Brownies are ooey gooey, sticky, and unbelievably fudgy. A pound of chocolate is melted, graham crackers are mixed in the batter, and mini marshmallows are broiled on top. The key to delicious brownies is knowing when to take them out of the oven. Leaving them in too long can result in dry, crumbling brownies, while taking them out at just the right moment produces thick and fudgy results. I drizzled my brownies with extra chocolate because, well, it just tastes better that way.

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Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops

Sometimes things don't quite go as planned. Let me explain.

These Frankensteins have been swimming around in my head for the last month. I had a vague idea what I was going to use to make them, but it wasn't until I sat down in front of them, surrounded by marshmallows and candy, did I realize maybe I hadn't thought these little guys all the way through. After a bit of trial and error (and a dozen marshmallows tossed to the wayside), I finally figured out the trick to making them.

And make them I did. Soon I was surrounded by a small, bite-sized Frankenstein army.

It wasn't until I sat back to admire my handiwork that I noticed something was off. My Frankensteins didn't look quite right. Yet, I couldn't place my finger on what exactly was wrong. After a quick google search, I was stunned to learn my poor Frankensteins were anatomically incorrect.

For some reason, I always assumed the bolt went through Frankenstein's head. Perhaps I'm imagining that only a monster could function with a block of metal through his brain and basing my logic from there. Every time I see a picture of him with the bolt in his neck, there is shock all over again. Apparently I didn't watch enough of The Munsters growing up.

So, today I present to you an anatomically incorrect Halloween treat. I think that makes them scarier.

Or Frankensteins with pigtails. Now that's the stuff of horror films.

These Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops are easy to make and even more fun to eat. Perfect as a Halloween treat, these little monsters can be placed on top of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or left to speak for themselves. A few ingredients is all it takes to produce these marshmallow Frankensteins (plus, they taste pretty sweet, too). These would make a spooky addition to your Halloween treat bag.

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