Fudge'y Rocky Road Bars

These remind me quite a bit of bars made years ago by Dolores (Grant's wife)...

Making these calls for more 'work?' than opening a box of brownie mix* and adapting it, but...

But,...

...I think, for certain
'special occasions',... 
worth it!

INGREDIENTS for CHOCOLATE BOTTOM LAYER:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 of 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate (semi-sweet would work, too)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS for bottom layer:
In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spread in a greased and floured 9x13" pan, like this...  

Set aside while you prepare top layer.

INGREDIENTS FOR TOP LAYER:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened (set other 2 oz. cream cheese aside for icing)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
----
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
----
2 cups miniature marshmallows (these will be put on after bars bake for 25-30 minutes).

DIRECTIONS for top layer:
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, butter, egg and vanilla; mix until smooth and fluffy.  Drop in dollops over fudgy bottom layer, then gently spread until it covers entirely...

Sprinkle chocolate chips over top...

Sprinkle chopped nuts over chips...

Bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes.  (I baked mine for 27 minutes.)   WHILE THIS IS BAKING, prepare the icing as follows:

INGREDIENTS for Fudge Icing:
1/4 cup softened butter
1 of 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate  (semi-sweet will work)
2 oz. cream cheese (the part that was previously set aside)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS for Fudge Icing:
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, chocolate, cream cheese and milk.  Whisk together as it melts.  Stir in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla (add additional milk if icing is too thick to be 'pour'able.  (Set this prepared icing aside until bars come out of the oven-- that is,  AFTER the marshmallows have been 'ovened' for the two minutes.)
----------------
After the 25-30 minutes of baking the bottom fudgy layer, remove from oven and sprinkle marshmallows evenly over top... return this to oven for only two minutes.

After the two minutes of being back into the oven, remove and IMMEDIATELY pour prepared 'pour'able icing evenly over the marshmallows...

When whole top is covered with the 'pour'able icing, cool bars thoroughly...

Store left-overs covered tightly and in the refrigerator. (I put four squares of these in a small container, and freeze.)

This recipe came from my late mother-in-law's collection; the bars made with this recipe earned first place and was submitted by Carla Brede and was published in a booklet entitled "Recipes from 1988 Dairy Foods Promotion Class".  

*  I'm thinking one could take a box of store-bought brownie mix, prepare it as directed, pour that batter into a greased/floured (sprayed?) 9x13" pan, set it aside and then follow this recipe from the point of mixing/adding the cream cheese layer to the layer of unbaked brownie mix, and onward.  (TOO MANY words, but....)