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The Good Side….

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These Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars have a brownie base, topped with marshmallow, and peanut butter chocolate crunch top.

Obviously there has to be a good side to teaching, for if there wasn’t, no one would do it.

A side that is as good as these Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars.

There are many great moments in teaching.

Many of those moments you will never know about, and that’s the hard part.

So often it is years later after you were that child’s teacher that you realize the impact that you made on that child.

And it usually never the kid you would have thought.

Case in point.

I had a student when I taught 6th grade.

Her older brother was in 8th grade and struggling something horrible in science.

At the time the science teacher was what one might call technical (you might know it as dry and boring) and he could just not catch on.

A very shy kid, he finally got the nerve to ask me after school one day for help while his sister was hanging out reorganizing my books (slave labor comes cheap when you have goodie-goodie’s in class 😛 ).

I was the type of person who likes to use more real life terms.

I tell people the real term but I also translate to real people speak.

You know like when I go to a fancy restaurant with my husband and the menu says Potatoes Gaufrette, I turn to my perplexed hubby and say “waffle fries” and he understands.

Apparently I had an impact.

So much that his senior year of high school he nominated me for a state award for best teacher throughout his years.

I was not eligible as I was never his actual teacher but the high school was nice enough to forward me the 4 page essay about how my simple after school lessons shaped the boys life.

He is now a science teacher in New Mexico.

But my proudest moment of all came of at all places the State Fair.

My parents and I were in the livestock section watching cows be judged.

We mostly wanted to just be in the shade as it was a balmy 95F in October in AZ.

My first year of teaching I had a student who was a pain in the ass to put it mildly.

I team taught and so he was not actually in my homeroom, but I saw him for two classes.

M and his dad lived in their car.

I taught in a poor district where 96% the schools students qualified for free lunch.

Many teachers coddled him because of his circumstance, which in turn made him be more of an ass.

I rode him hard all year and he never rose to the challenge.

I chalked M up to one that got away and one that made me drink a lot of beer after work. 🙂

So imagine my surprise when a voice from the past spoke.

“Hello Ms. G, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

In a slight state of shock that he even came over to say hi, I asked what he was doing here.

He told me how he had gone to live on a boys ranch for homeless children and how to earn their keep they helped run the farm.

That he had raised a cow and was showing it and hoping to place so that the cow would sale, as he would get to keep the money.

He asked if we would stay and watch his cow.

I said sure.

He was not up for about an hour.

And so he sat with my parents and I going over all the things they look for in the judging and how things were in general in his life, including the program that he felt changed his life.

Then when he got up to go and prepare his cow he said to me, “I want to thank you for never treating me different than any other kid in your classroom. That really meant a lot to me. “

I held back my tears when said that but they minute he left my mother had already pulled the Kleenex from her purse.

That afternoon I watched M get first place for his cow that day. I pretty much was a ball of tears.

So not what I thought my day at the Fair was going to be.

And so not the student I thought I would ever hear that from.

Speaking of good things….these Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are so very fantastic.

I made them for my husband but I am pretty sure I ate more of them then he did.

You want to talk about a super after school treat…these are it!!!!

Last but not least…it’s a great time to order my cookbook. 😀

Side shot of the Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

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Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Marshmallow Crunch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Ingredients

  • Brownie Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Topping Ingredients:
  • 7 ounces mini marshmallows
  • 1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup Jif peanut butter
  • 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat.
  3. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly.
  6. Add in the sugar and vanilla.
  7. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well.
  8. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula.
  10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.
  11. Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them.
  12. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.
  13. While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan.
  14. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted.Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well.
  15. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer.
  16. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.
© Peabody

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Comments

  5. Wow, YES, I am finally able to see some of your pictures and those look amazing! Hot dang! I have that cookbook too! Why did I never notice this recipe! I think I just gained ten pounds!

    Reply

  12. Crap, my heart just grew three sizes and killed me 😀 I love how he kept nominating you even if you weren’t eligible. Did he ever know you weren’t? No matter, you must’ve felt on top of the world when it happened. Wonderful stories. I think I pretty much qualified as a goody-goody (well, until my teenage troubles started), so my stories are a little different, but there’s always a teacher (or five) that sticks out in my mind too 🙂

    I LOVE that the bars have no whole peanuts in them, and instead have rice krispies! That’s a real treat!

    Reply

  13. Both stories are really touching, I can just imagine how great both incidents made you feel. I really love your writing!
    Oh, and those bars look sinfully good!

    Reply

  14. It makes a heart so proud to know that you have touched so many lives.

    Think of all the ones that you have touched and don’t even know about.

    Gold star for Peabody!

    Oh…and these treats……making them today!

    Reply

  19. What a moving story, about M; and wow, I wish that I had a teacher like you!! 😀

    Oh my, those Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars are DEFINITELY good things!! Yum!!

    Reply

  20. What a wonderful story! Sounds like you’re a great teacher! : ) Not to mention a fabulous cook…these bars look delicious!

    Reply

  22. I start my first year of teaching on Tuesday. I am so nervous and stressed it is beyond words… thank you for your story, it made me remember why I got into this whole thing to start with.

    Reply

  23. Those look very yummy and will be the perfect treat for my household next week! I think you’ve managed to combine my boys’ three favorite things into a single bar – they are going to go nuts (in a good way 😀 ).

    Reply

  24. Love your story Peabody….and love the looks of these bars too………hhmmmm….Rice Krispies….cereal………..breakfast bar? I WISH!!!!!!!! 🙂

    Reply

  25. Loved the school stories. I guess every good teacher has some of those to remember when you’re having a horrible day and the kids just won’t behave! I hope you had your camera so you could take a picture of him!

    Reply

  28. What a great story! It’s always nice to know that you helped someone. And these look wonderful. I’m definitely going to make these!

    Reply

  30. *sigh* I totally understand. I understand the calls from kids on their way to their first deployment, and the ones from kids who have chosen to go into the Peace Corps after getting their college degree. But there are also kids I know I’ll never hear from, some of whom are no longer here…Good stories, peabody, and great afternoon snacks. I suspect that if I made these for my teen, they’d disappear and I’d find out he passed them out at school during lunch. YUM!

    Reply

  31. You are so right about teaching — it’s the one student you have an impact on that makes all of teaching worthwhile. And you never know who that one student will be — and sometimes you don’t find out about the impact until much later in life.

    Reply

  32. It’s a shame that you didn’t want to continue teaching.
    But I certainly understand about low pay and getting burned out with all the hassles. (Nursing in The UK = same thing! I love it and loathe it but mostly love it)
    How wonderful to be complimented in front of your parents! Mucho kudos!

    This after school brownies look delightful! Mmmm.

    Reply

  36. After school snack is right! I’ll be making these for Aidan soon. How do you think they would hold up in the heat at his evening soccer game (probably in the 80s at least)? I am on snack detail this week.

    Your story about both students made me cry. I am so glad you were able to find out about both instances – which I’m sure are only a drop in the bucket compared to the effect you have had!

    Reply

  39. Recipe, smeshicipe. You had me teary-eyed at the story. Thanks for sharing and way to go. I will read the recipe later however, as chocolate also gets me teary eyed, but in a different way 😉

    Reply

  41. I had one of those moments. I taught seventh grade for eight years. I quit seven years ago when my daughter was born. Last year I was forwarded an e-mail. It was a student from my second year of teaching. She had just graduated with a master’s degree and wanted to say thank you. It absolutely floored me. And I cried as well.

    Reply

  42. Just wanted to say I ventured over to your blog from TWD and was not disappointed. Your photos are great, but especially loving your teaching bits in the most recent posts. My husband and most of my family are teachers. After resisting it a bit, looks like I’m headed that way too (I’ve been teaching for the last year or so part time). You’re right about it being a good 2nd income, unfortunately it’s had to be our main one for the past 7 years— but I have to say, my husband loves his job and the impact he makes on the kids he works with.

    Reply

  43. I think all of us teachers have these kind of stories, but I had fetch some Kleenex for this story, because it made me realize just how big an impact we have on these children that we teach.
    I am definitely making these chocolatey bars!!!!

    Reply

  45. Awww, Peabody, thanks for sharing your teaching stories. You definitely made this teacher cry! I currently teach in a district in Phoenix with nearly 100% free or reduced lunch, so I know exactly what you’re talking about. No matter how infuriated I get at school board politics or the atrocious situations in which my students live, I have the privilege of waking up every day and knowing I MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

    I especially love your line about how many people will never know the small joys of teaching or the moments that make us drink a lot of beer and eat a lot of chocolate!

    Reply

  48. Love those stories. My sister starts her teaching job tomorrow so I hope she has as wonderful of an impact as you have. The dessert looks great as well. You always have the most tantalizing recipes. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe for Peach Sangria Madeleines. I have been waiting to try that recipe for awhile and now that I have a ton of peaches on hand I feel that I have the perfect excuse.

    Reply

  53. Wonderful that you could have such an effect on someone. You know you’ve made a difference in life.
    (Btw, loved the brownies until you said peanut butter! Why must all the good looking things involve peanut butter!)

    Reply

  54. Nice post, Peabody. My life was changed by a fabulous French assistant teacher that came to my high school in Australia over 15 years ago – it started a passion for France that lead me here to Paris where I’m married to a Frenchman. I also taught as an Assistant teacher the first few years I was in France – I hope I returned the good karma!

    Reply

  55. What sweet stories! My teachers still influence me to this day, so glad that your students took the time to let you know what you meant to them! And the brownies are just fabulous!

    Reply

  59. I don’t know if I feel like crying because of such an inspirational story or because I can’t eat that delicious dessert!

    We’d like to invite you to participate in our September apple and peach recipe contest (the recipe can be sweet or savory). All competitors will be eligible to win one of three prizes :)! Please email me, haleyglasco@gmail.com, if you’re interested. Feel free to check out our blog for more details: http://blog.keyingredient.com/2008/08/29/september-kick-contest/

    Thanks :),
    Haley
    KI Blogger

    Reply

  61. I’m loving the teaching stories as of late. I’m finally starting to hear some of these things, now in my third year. It’s my first time being at the same school as the year before, and I’ve already had students stopping by to voice their appreciation. It makes all the hard work worth it!

    Reply

  65. So here’s the deal. Last Christmas my boss brought in some treats over the Holidays, and they were fantastic….they had chocolate, peanut butter, rice krispies, etc.

    I didn’t think about them again until I started my blog. And I went to him and said, “Those were so good, I’d love to make them and blog them”

    He absolutely, totally refused. Adamantly. He said, “That is my wife’s family recipe and she would kill me if I gave it out”…… blah blah blah, (I mean, if you don’t SHARE recipes, what’s the point? Ya can’t FEED everybody)

    Ok, so be it.

    I think your recipe may SURPASS what he brought in. So, I’m going to make it, and bring it in to work, and let HIM decide….

    LOL, thanks Peabody, as always, you ROCK!

    http://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com

    Reply

  66. I missed this! Being a fan of bars (the cookie kind) this would be my kind of treat to enjoy. Though frankly I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to polish off a plate of these. I can always count on you to keep me well fed!

    Reply

  68. Beautiful story! It’s always such a joy to stop by and read what you have to share. Thank you.
    And these bars look absolutely criminal! It’s like brownie meets rice crispy treat meets s’mores. Brilliant!

    Reply

  69. These were so freaky naughty!!!! My team loved them…there were even leftovers to share with my class too. They think I’m the best trainer ever!!! lol Next time I will make them in the right size pan (mine was a little too small so there was some marshmallow overflow lol)..but other than that they were awesome…rave reviews from everyone. Thank Peabody!!! 🙂 – Tiff

    Reply

  72. surely there must be a law against those? whay too indulgent! but just what i need. i don’t have marshmallws at home right now, but i’ll go out and get some because it’s just the right, dreary day for a pick-me-up like this one! thanks for this recipe and a beautiful story!

    Reply

  76. I just found your blog and i LOVE it!! you have some amazing recipes and i cant wait to try some of them, this recipe is now on my ever growing to-bake list!! thanks!

    Reply

  77. Just wanted to say this recipe is awesome and very much requested in our house. I first made it for my husband to take up north hunting. I’m currently making it this afternoon; my step-son requested it for his birthday cake. 🙂

    Reply

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