We made this incredibly delicious S’mores with Tiny Trapeze graham crackers and chocolate marshmallows, and a Chocolove 77% cacao Extra Strong Dark chocolate bar. All photography by Elton Lin.
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| KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE. |
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October 2005
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A Gourmet S’mores Party
Recipes That Will Have Everyone Begging For “S’more”
There’s an “official” S’mores Day—August 10th—but this American creation should be enjoyed every day of the year!
Since the Girl Scouts popularized S’mores long ago (the first published recipe is in their 1927 handbook), it has been a happy tradition around the campfire: a stick, two toasted marshmallows, a square of chocolate and two graham crackers get you a delicious chocolate marshmallow sandwich. The heat of the toasted marshmallow melts the chocolate a bit, and the melted quality is oh so much tastier than the ingredients in their natural state. The name of the sweet sandwich snack comes from its addictive quality: you have no choice but to ask for “some more.”
But you don’t need a campfire, or even all of the classic ingredients, to celebrate S’mores, as our recipes will show. We’ve combined several related concepts—fire, marshmallows and friends having a communal good time—into a Gourmet S’mores Party. It can be held year-round at the dining table or around the sofa for the majority of us who don’t live in balmy climes. Have it while the kids are out trick-or-treating. And plan ahead for National S’mores Day, August 10th.
How To Stage a S’mores Party
A seated event is best. Each place setting needs:
- Graham crackers (we love the ones from Tiny Trapeze and Starr Ridge—click here for our review)
- Marshmallows (ditto on Tiny Trapeze—be sure to try their chocolate marshmallows too)
- Chocolate (this is no time to stint on ingredients—use the good stuff, the darker the better [milk chocolate is too sweet to pair with marshmallows, so try a chocolate of 70% cacao or higher])
- Ice cream and other ingredients from the recipes below
- A votives or tea candle for each guest
- Fondue forks (regular forks or skewers will do)
- Beverages of choice (it can get sweet, so we like milk; some people prefer mineral water; serve dessert wines* if you want to go over-the-top)
*Banyuls, Late Harvest Zinfandel, Lustau Muscat Sherry “Emlin,” Recioto Amarone, Ruby Port, Vin Santo
The Process
1. Review the recipes below, and choose some (or all). Or, create your own.
2. Invite an appropriate group of revelers for dessert.
3. Set each person up with the ingredients to make his or her S’mores—by roasting the marshmallows over the votive, then sandwiching them on cookies with a slab of chocolate. Don’t use Sterno—it imparts a chemical taste to the marshmallow. If you don’t want to use flames, Tiny Trapeze’s Marshmallow Creme is a heavenly option.
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| Tiny Trapeze chocolate and vanilla marshmallows. |
Tiny Trapeze all-natural Marshmallow Creme, available at Whole Foods Markets.
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Recipes
Gourmet Graham S’mores
1. The Classic S’more
- Take 2 graham crackers
- Top one with a one-ounce square of chocolate
- Toast a marshmallow
- Place toasted marshmallow on top of
chocolate
- Put second graham cracker on top to
complete the “sandwich”
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 2. The Chocolate Graham S’more
- Take 2 chocolate-covered graham crackers (we used these beauties from Eli Zabar (photo at right); and have also used Jo’s chocolate grahams, which are sweeter (Jo’s Candies private labels the chocolate-covered graham crackers sold at Starbucks)
- Place a toasted marshmallow between two cookies
- For a quick, no-flame treat, use marshmallow creme as a “sandwich filling”
3. The French S’more
- Use Petite Écolier (Little Schoolboy) cookies—butter cookies with a real chocolate bar embedded on top—instead of graham crackers and chocolate (photo below)
- Sandwich a toasted marshmallow between two cookies
- Bon appetit!
4. The Uramaki S’more
(Uramaki is the “reverse roll” at the sushi bar. We call this version the “Sumo,” for reasons soon to be apparent.)
- Take 2 chocolate bars, one milk, one dark
- Top each with a Starr Ridge graham cracker
- Top each graham with toasted marshmallows or marshmallow creme
- Sandwich together....or if the thought is too daunting, eat each as an open-face sandwich
Ice Cream S’mores
5. Ice Cream Sandwich S’more
- Top a graham cracker with layer of marshmallow fluff and sprinkle with chocolate morsels.
- Add a small scoop of chocolate ice cream.
- Top with another graham cracker.
6. Deconstructed Sundae S’more
- In a parfait dish or wine goblet, layer vanilla ice cream with graham cracker pieces, chocolate morsels and mini marshmallows.
- Top with a hot toasted marshmallow.
- Serve with whole graham crackers.
7. S’mores Ice Cream Pie or Tarts
This is a recipe to make in advance as an ice cream pie or individual tarts; and can be served as a “chaser” to the gooier cookie S’mores.
- In advance, make a graham cracker crust.
- Make S’mores ice cream by softening vanilla ice cream and mixing in chocolate morsels, mini marshmallows, ad graham cracker pieces. Spoon softened ice cream into pie shell and return to freezer.
- To serve, top with shaved chocolate curls and a side of marshmallow creme.
If you don’t think we’ve hit on the ideal S’mores recipe, click here to tell us what it should be.
If you want to send someone the gift of S’mores, Recchiuti Confections sells kits.
© Copyright 2005-2008 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are copyright of their respective owners.
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