White chip macadamia nut cookie s’mores bars

I wasn’t going to do it, y’all.  I prepared a couple of incredibly good but healthful dishes for Girl’s Weekend.  Happy and well-intentioned, I planned to leave it at that… a pretty decent contribution to the weekend.  Unfortunately, out of nowhere came the text we’d all been dreading.  Our childhood, excuse me, the only house we had ever known, had been demolished.  Gone.  Nothing but rubble.  The massive 40-year old tabebuia tree Mama had excitedly planted so, so many years ago had been cut down.  Cut down!  Several years ago a developer approached my father and offered to buy the tree for $7000.00.  Dad politely turned him down as the flowering tree gave him so much pleasure.  After the house sold, my siblings and I assumed it would eventually be torn down but we truly thought at least the magnificent tabebuia would be saved.  Apparently not.  The four of us had some serious emotions to work through that week.  But we’re all fine.  Each, in our own way, dealt with the loss.  It was the end of an era.  Mama died, then a few years later Daddy.  Our house of over 55 years was sold.  And, now, no longer exists.  The four of us if, and only if, backed up against the wall, can be realists… when forced.  And I mean no other option.  Our lives on Sea Island Drive were something out of the works of Roald Dahl, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Leo Tolstoy and Beverly Cleary.  It was beyond idyllic.  Our parents put the “Q” in quirky, the “A” in adventure and the “L” in love.  Mama and Daddy had a magnificent give and take relationship founded on mutual respect and honesty.  Never have I experienced, seen or heard a more profoundly pure relationship.  They had everything and they gave us everything.  As their children, we four, have learned to count our blessings… and we have many.  Time marches on and we know to accept that with smiles on our faces and gladness in our hearts.  I prepared this decadent treat for our girl’s weekend because I wanted to pull out all stops.  These girls know my house, my family, my life.  So Saturday night, we let the good times roll.  Que sarong, sarong, girls.

 

Gentle Reader, although it gets no easier to prepare, it also gets no trashier.  I mean, really.  But this treat is perfect when you want to pull out all stops without breaking your back.  Think of this Memorial Day weekend by the pool… music on… eyes closed while you drift on your favorite floatie.  Why not?  The s’mores travel well and can be baked off in the morning to be served that afternoon or evening.  Kids are absolutely crazy about these.  Perfect to pop in your mouth right before executing a flawless cannonball.  Any kind of store bought cookie dough may be used as well as brownie dough.  Feel free to add nuts, peanuts or nut butters as well.  This is an extremely forgiving recipe except around your hips.  Fair warning.