Gimme S'more, Please!
Picture this scene: the stars have come out on a warm summer evening and your family is gathered around a glowing campfire. Perhaps you’re at a campsite or even a tent you have set up in the backyard. Everyone’s got a stick or skewer and you’re roasting marshmallows to sandwich between layers of graham crackers and chocolate bars for that delicious sweet treat, the s’more. It’s a summertime classic. Many people, young and old, go wild for s’mores, for good reason. They are delicious!
National S’more’s Day is this Tuesday, August 10. The history of the s’more goes way back to the turn of the 19th century, with the invention of marshmallows, when people were looking for ways to enjoy this newfangled treat. The first written recipe can be found in a Girl Scouts cookbook from the late 1920s. But mostly, the idea of the s’more has been passed by word of mouth, and shared among many generations.
While you don’t need a recipe for the traditional version of the s’more, there are several different methods for making them. The easiest way is to thread your marshmallows onto skewers, toast them and then sandwich them between two graham crackers with a few squares of chocolate. The heat of the marshmallow will melt the chocolate a little if you time it right and make your sandwich right away.
Another way is to find a grill basket and create the whole sandwich first, then toast the whole thing over the fire. With this method the chocolate melts a bit better, but there is a fine line where the graham cracker could get burnt, and the marshmallow doesn’t get quite as toasty.
I like my marshmallows ooey-gooey in a s’more, so I prefer to toast the marshmallow to a nice caramel color first and then make the sandwich. But I also like the chocolate to be melted and warm. If you keep your package of chocolate bars near the campfire, they should be in a semi-soft state, well on their way to melting easily. You can embellish your s’mores (although some purists may balk) with peanut butter, cinnamon grahams, or flavored marshmallows. One thing we can all agree on is that making s’mores is so simple, yet so very satisfying.
If you have young children like I do and the days of being near an open flame are still a few years away, then you may want to try your hand at indoor s’mores or a s’mores inspired desserts instead. Indoor s’mores are simply made in the microwave – layer squares of graham cracker with marshmallow, place in the microwave for 30 second intervals until the marshmallow puffs up, and then sandwich with another chocolate bar lined graham cracker.
There are many recipes for s’mores inspired desserts: bread pudding, s’mores bars, and s’mores pie. You can give this stepped up version of the traditional campfire s’more a try, next time you have a summer barbecue to attend. It’s the perfect dessert to take along. And what could be better than the combination of creamy chocolate, gooey toasty marshmallows, and a crunchy graham cracker crust?
Made with corn syrup, water, sugar, graham cracker crumb crust, semisweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, egg, salt
Serves/Makes: 8
- 1 graham cracker crumb crust
***Chocolate filling***
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
***Marshmallow topping***
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 6 egg whites
- 2 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Chocolate Filling: Place chocolate chips in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Whisk in egg and salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).
Cover edge of pie with foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.
Marshmallow topping: In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy or instant thermometer.
While the sugar heats, in the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites on medium until they hold soft peaks.
In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and 3 tablespoons of water.
When the sugar syrup reaches 240 degrees F, with the mixer running, pour the sugar down the inside edge of the mixer bowl into the egg whites. Add the gelatin mixture and beat to combine. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the gelatin is incorporated. Beat for another 5 minutes on medium-high, and add the vanilla.
Use a large spoon to top the pie with the marshmallow, making large dollops and peaks with the spoon and completely covering the surface of the pie. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the marshmallow, being careful not to burn it. Alternatively, place the pie under the oven's broiler until just browned, rotating the pie as needed for even browning.
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