Fudgey S'more Monkey Bread!

Let's continue our S'mores Celebration with really ooey gooey and yummy recipe!

Are you ready to get messy? The kids will love it! Make sure they have on aprons or chocolate-proof shirts!

What You Need:
13 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (Note: This will require 2 cans/one w/8 biscuits & one w/5 biscuits... Grands Homestyle is what I used)
1/2 cup butter
13 large marshmallows
1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon dark baking cocoa
Butter for greasing pan

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan and set aside. Cut all 13 biscuits into quarters; set aside.

Use a large microwave-safe bowl. Let the kids put the  butter, marshmallows, hot fudge topping and vanilla in the bowl. They can put the bowl in the microwave and set it. (Let them do as much as possible, okay?) Microwave (uncovered) on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, until melted. Using wire whisk, stir until smooth.  Note: Please do not let the kids stir the hot ingredients! Set aside to let it cool a bit (the mixture needs to cool enough so it is safe for the kids to work with).

Meanwhile, let them combine the sugar and the cocoa in a medium bowl stirring until well blended (Kids love to stir and whisk!

Spread out some waxed paper for the kids to work on (you won't be sorry)!

At this point, I would advise the adult helper to place 1/4 of the biscuit pieces into the chocolate mixture and gently fold in to coat with chocolate. The add another 1/4 of the biscuits and repeat.

Now hand over the tongs to the kids... they are gonna love this... Remove the biscuits from the chocolate, using tongs,"patiently" letting excess chocolate drip off. Drop each biscuit piece, one at a time into sugar mixture. Spoon the sugar over the biscuit to coat. Then layer the biscuits (one at a time) in the Bundt pan. Repeat until all of the biscuits have been sugared and layered in the pan. If there is any sugar mixture left, sprinkle it over the biscuits.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until biscuits are a deep golden making sure they are not doughy in center. Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. Now the adult helper can place plate upside down over the Bundt pan and carefully turn plate and pan over. The kids eyes will be big and round! Remove pan and immediately scrape any remaining topping in the pan onto the top of the bread. Pull apart warm bread and serve with milk! YUM!
Makes 12 servings (yeah, right)! 

S'more getting kids into the kitchen!

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach

Celebrating National S'mores Day!

Hello my little foodies, moms, grandmoms and anyone else that follows along with KidsCooking411...

We're celebrating this week and invite you to join in the fun! I'm Jan McCracken (most of you already know that) and I write KidsCooking411. Getting kids into the kitchen at an early age is one of my passions. Another passion is authoring cookbooks!

Friday is National S'mores Day (August 10) and so we're celebrating S'mores with a new S'mores recipe (without the campfire) every day this week at KidsCooking411. Fun stuff, right?

The other celebration is the release of my brand new Kindle cookbook that just went live on Amazon, S'mores Galore Ooey Gooey Recipes (No Campfire Required). It's a fun and yummy read with over 30 recipes with a twist on the flavors and magical ingredients of that campfire favorite, S'mores (see the new cover below). Jump over to my website to read more about the book: www.SmoresGalore411.com

Let's head to the kitchen and whip up an easy dessert to begin our S'mores celebration!

S'more Summer Parfaits

What You Need:
1 (3.9 ounces) package instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
2 cups coarsely crushed graham crackers (about 24 squares)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
4 tablespoons mini-chocolate morsels
Whipped cream 

Make It:
Crush your own crackers as it saves a ton of money! Store bought crumbs are expensive. And besides, the kids will love rolling over them in a zippy bag with the rolling pin :-) This recipe will require about 24 squares or 12 whole graham crackers... give or take a couple.

This is a super easy recipe and with a little supervision and direction, I think you'll agree that the kids can pretty much do all of this one on their own! 

In a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes. Allow to stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.

Use some parfait glasses or Mason jars and layer the ingredients as follows: Begin with 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons of pudding, 1/4 cup marshmallows and 1 tablespoon chocolate morsels.

Top with the remaining pudding. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

At serving time, add a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs and a few chocolate morsels.
Makes 4 servings 

A cool S'more treat! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for another S'mores recipe!

S'more Cooking with Kids,

Jan McCracken, Culinary Coach