Whipped Shortbread, Chocolate & Mallow Magic Bars

   Well now, a few weeks ago I asked what dessert I should make (with dented, 50% sweetened condensed milk) for my treat day, and Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Shortbread Magic Bars from Picky Palate were chosen! 
   I decided to change the crust a bit because I much prefer whipped shortbread over regular shortbread. It can be more crumbly, but once you've caught those crumbs and put 'em in your mouth, you won't mind at all! Whipped shortbread is delightfully "light" (if you can say that about a cookie being held together by butter!), and melts in your mouth. 
   Well, alrighty, that's all for now!    

Whipped Shortbread, Chocolate & Mallow Magic Bars (try saying that 10 times fast) :)  

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 1 Cups butter (must be butter, no margarine allowed!), room temperature.
• 1/2 Tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup icing sugar
  
• 1/4 Cup cornstarch
  
• 1 1/2 Cups flour
  
• 1 Cup chocolate chips

For the rest: 

• 1 cups chocolate chips, divided
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 10 large marshmallows, halved, or about 40 minis, or just dump a bunch of mallows on top of this if you don't feel like counting! :)  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare an 11x7 (ish) baking dish by lining with parchment paper, and lightly spraying or greasing the part of the pan that is still showing.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter really, really well on high speed with a hand or stand mixer
4. Add the vanilla and continue beating.
5. Turn the mixer down, and add in small increments the icing sugar, cornstarch and flour. If your mixer is still on high you'll get a  cloud of white powder in your face and you'll regret it! Just trust the idiot that's done it before! 
6. Once all ingredients are added, continue beating the mix. Whip it. Whip it real good.
   
7. Stir in the chocolate chips
8. Put dough into your prepared pan, and and press it down as evenly as possible. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven, but leave the oven on
9. Drizzle your deee-lightful base with sweetened condensed milk. Top with the  chocolate chips. 
10. Top the chocolate with the mallows, then bake for 10 more minutes. 
11. Remove and let cool completely before trying to cut into squares. I mean it, let them cool completely!

   The thing about making bars with real marshmallows (and not just mallow fluff out of a container) is that they will cut waaaaay better if you just leave them alone for a whole day! I know, it seems like torture, but just tell yourself it needs to happen! 
   If you try to cut them within a few hours of making them, the marshmallow is super un c0-operative, and they also choke you! My Keziah said when eating one only a few hours after I made them, "this treat is trying to kill me!". I love 5 year olds! :)  

   By the way, things made with sweetened condensed milk are referred to as "magic" for some reason. I'm sure, back in the day, when someone used the sweet milk for something (probably as an experiment!), and whatever they were making turned out so good, and everyone who ate said experiment and went, "wow, this is like magic!" or some other such nonsense, and the "magic" part stuck. This false moment is history was brought to you by me, and has no real legs to stand on. But I like my story. I can imagine myself as that experimental housewife, whipping up something new and hoping it works! Haha...oh boy, I'm rambling now.... time to go! 
   Have a great Wednesday!