Ingredients for the bars:
1 bag (10.5 ounces) mini marshmallows
1 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box Simple Mills Chocolate cake mix
Ingredients for the optional garnish:
Additional mini marshmallows
5 ounces chopped dark chocolate (about 1/3 cup)
¼ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
1. Liberally spray an 8” square baking pan with oil and set aside.
2. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the marshmallows and butter or oil on high for 90 seconds. Stir and if the marshmallow mixture doesn’t become smooth, heat for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Immediately add the vanilla extract and Simple Mills chocolate cake mix and fold in until combined. It’s OK if the marshmallow isn’t all the way incorporated – the swirls of marshmallow are very pretty – but don’t stop mixing until you’re certain that there are no globs of cake mix left in the batter.
4. Turn the batter out into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread and flatten it into an even layer. It will be springy and take some coaxing, so be patient and gentle with it. If you need to, dampen your hands and use your palms to flatten the batter. Top with extra marshmallows if desired, and gently press them into the batter.
5. If you’d like to garnish with a chocolate drizzle, melt together the dark chocolate and coconut oil (in a microwave-safe bowl) in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until very smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the warm chocolate over the tops of the bars. Don’t worry about it being perfect – this is the kind of thing where messy and rustic is better!
6. Refrigerate the bars for at least 1 hour (or as long as overnight) until completely cooled and firmed up. Use a very sharp knife to cut into bars.
Notes
• For peppermint flavour, try replacing the vanilla extract with peppermint extract
• For a celebration version, add multi coloured sprinkles to the batter or on top of the chocolate drizzle.
• For a double chocolate version, add white or dark chocolate chips to the batter. Fold them in when you add the Simple Mills mix.
