Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bars

Earlier this week I heard about a cookie/ cookie bar baking challenge over at Betty Crocker. While I'm not bursting with spare time, I saw that the grand prize was $5,000 ...I could find the time for that, right?! Haha.

I spent all day working my tail off in the kitchen. Pulling ingredients out of thin air, correcting mistakes, trying my best to create the very best gluten free cookie bar that ever was and ever will be.

While I knew going into the contest, that there wasn't a gluten free division, I for some reason thought that my cookie bars would still qualify. Tonight, after uploading my pictures and sitting down to enter my recipe, I re- read the rules, and took note that the "gluten free chocolate chip cookie mix" was not included in the list of approved mixes.

...crap.

I suppose I could have just entered my recipe anyways, listing their other chocolate chip cookie mix as the base ingredient, but I kind of feel that that would be cheating, seeing as how I wouldn't actually touch the wheat filled mix with a ten foot pole... and I'm no cheater (OK- so I cheated on a test once, and only once, in the 4th grade. I'm a better person now, I promise!).

I don't want to say that I went through all the trouble for nothing though (I won't lie, creating this recipe was quite dramatic at times), because at least now I can post it here on my blog for all of my good friends, far away family, and loyal and lovely readers to enjoy.

So friends, who wants a s'mores cookie bar??

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Tia's Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bars
Please be sure to read the notes below the recipe, they will come in very handy.

Ingredients:
-1 box Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix (prepared)
-2/3 cups gluten free chocolate chips
-1 1/2 cups gluten free marshmallow creme

Yes. That's all you need.
Really.

Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease a regular sized brownie pan. 8x8, aren't they, usually?
-Prepare your cookie mix. Divide it in half.
-Press half of your cookie mix into the bottom of your greased pan.
-Next, pour on your chocolate chips, spread them out.
-And now, your marshmallow creme. This might get kind of tricky, so take your time, it will work.
-Finally, the remainder of the cookie dough. I suggest kind of sprinkling it on slowly, to make sure that you cover the entire area, and then taking your time again, press the dough around with your fingers, blanketing the marshmallows the best you can.

-Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. The top layer will turn a golden brown. If things start to burn, cover your edges with foil

These are that easy.
And ohmahgosh they taste SO good.

**Now some notes- and these are important:

-After your cookie bars have finished, pull them out of the oven, and put them straight into the fridge. Do not try to cut into them. Do not expect to be tasting them. Let them cool completely. And not just cool, but let them chill.

-After your bars have rested in the fridge (or freezer if you're in a hurry), then you can cut into them and enjoy them (I'm not trying to be bossy, really). We do this for 2 reasons. The first reason being that, when they're warm, cutting into them ruins their shape, and they won't come out looking like "bars", they'll come out looking more like... dough. The second reason, is that the marshmallow creme melts, and because of that, it kind of removes itself from the bars (mine melted and soaked into the rest of the bar) while they're warm. After they've had a chance to chill, the marshmallows magically regain their form, and flavor. (Trust me?)

-I made my cookie bars, using soy milk rather than regular milk. Using Earth Balance rather than butter. And using homemade marshmallow cream rather than store bought. Feel free to substitute any of these ingredients, I don't think the outcome could come out that much different, ya know?

Edit: And then come to find out, the smores cookie bar has already been done before in a Betty Crocker challenge. I just can't win, haha.