THE SMASHING S’MORE
Inspired By Jessica at How Sweet It Is
Apparently Jessica, the blogger who inspired me to try this recipe, got her original idea from a Trader Joe’s snack by the same name. I’ve never tried the particular TJ morsel of which she speaks, but I trust it is delicious because I’ve never eaten a single chocolate item from Trader Joe’s that wasn’t delicious. I like this variation on a s’more recipe because sometimes it’s too hot for a fire or even a microwave, and yet I still want a summer s’more. This snack requires minimal heat (in fact if you’re impatient like me you’ll be using the refrigerator a little bit) but it still packs a strong s’more flavor.
Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate chips
This is the part where “chocolate” becomes “glue”
Directions:
1. The small amount of heat you’ll use happens right at the beginning: you need to melt some chocolate. I melted chocolate chips, but you can use chunks if you want. Whatever you decide, get some melted chocolate in a small bowl. Grab a spoon.
2. Take your graham crackers and break them into eight tiny squares. Take a tiny amount of chocolate and dab a blob onto one of your tiny squares. Then take another tiny square and press them together. Next up, grab a marshmallow. Apply another tiny dab of chocolate onto the top of your graham cracker stack and stick the marshmallow on top of that. Your melted chocolate is currently acting like glue. If you’re patient, wait an hour for the melted chocolate to harden. If you’re impatient, pop your snacks in the fridge and wait approximately ten minutes.
I don’t recommend burning your chocolate in the microwave
3. Once the “glue” has hardened, you’re ready to dip the snacks. Melt a much larger amount of chocolate in a much larger bowl. I don’t recommend burning the chocolate. I burned it and while there doesn’t seem to be any effect on the final taste, it smelled horrible and also made me feel bad about myself, like jeez, you can’t even microwave chocolate correctly Vanessa, god. Anyway.
4. Get a long skewer. If you don’t have one use a knife, or chop sticks like I did. Poke the skewer/knife/chopstick into the top of the marshmallow and coat the entire thing — graham cracker, marshmallow — with melted chocolate. If you’re me you’ll get frustrated after a few tries and you’ll just use your hands. The tops of the marshmallows never get perfectly covered; don’t panic. Just use a spoon or your fingers and mush some extra chocolate on top.
5. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top.
6. Again, either let the treats harden on their own, or stick them in the fridge for a little while. Yum.
THE INTENSE S’MORE
AKA The Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bar
Inspired By Melanie at The Sweet Life
Whenever I tell my girlfriend that something is “intense,” she looks at me with a completely straight face and says, “Like camping?” (Get it? Intense? In tents? Yeah…) Anyway, this s’more situation is super intense (look at all the ingredients!) and if someone ever makes a joke about it you can look them in the eye and say, “Yes! Exactly like camping.” At least that’s what I plan to do to my girlfriend.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
9+ peanut butter cups, regular size
basically a whole jar of marshmallow fluff
Cracking the egg is my favorite part
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking tin, then set it aside.
2. Making the dough for this recipe is pretty standard, you just add graham cracker crumbs at the end. Cream your butter and sugars, then add the egg and the vanilla. Next add your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, graham cracker crumbs. The original recipe says to use a stand mixer, but I used a plain old spoon and bowl and everything was fine. Also the original recipe says to use softened butter, but who remembers to leave that stuff out?! I used frozen butter from the freezer and microwaved it until it was completely melted, and everything was okay, don’t worry.
3. Once your dough is ready take 2/3 of it and press it into the baking dish. Make it thinner than you think you can. Trust me. Take your peanut butter cups and line then up evenly in rows. Next, take a bunch of fluff (the original recipe said 1 1/2 cups but to be honest I used almost an entire jar and I still think I could’ve used more) and spread it over the whole situation. Fluff is hard to spread so just do your best. The point is to cover the entire base with chocolate peanut butter cups or fluff or both.
4. Take the remaining 1/3 of the dough and roll it into a very thin 8×8 square. Then carefully lift your dough square and place it gently on top of everything else. Lightly push down to anchor it in place. (Full disclosure, my “thin 8×8 square” was more like “lumpy disjointed puzzle pieces.”) Repeat after me: everything is going to be okay.
5. Pop the baking tin in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. I live in fear of burning things so I took mine out a bit early.
6. When the bars have set (the original recipe says it takes 2 hours but I only had the patience to wait about 20 minutes), grab a large sharp knife and start cutting squares. Then invite people over immediately so you don’t eat the entire pan of gooey goodness by yourself.
If I could make these again I may add even more filling or something crazy like that
ALSO! Vegan Options:
This campfire staple can be modified for vegans with just a few small adjustments. You’ll want graham crackers with no honey (Nabisco actually fits the bill!), dark chocolate with no milk product, and vegan marshmallows or Ricemellow Creme. Stef, who made legendary vegan s’mores at A-Camp, recommends Sweet and Sara for vegan marshmallows. That company also makes prepackaged vegan s’mores, if you’re into that. And if you want a real challenge, your own “intense” s’more moment if you will, try Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s Vegan S’more Cupcake that ran in the now defunct Satya magazine. Yum for everyone. Happy S’mores Day!
Pages: 1 2See entire article on one page
My reaction to the final picture of the smashing smores was to say, out loud and rather aggressively, “holy SHIT. that looks AMAZING.”
also this inspired me to text all my friends and ask them if they wanted to celebrate national smores day with me.
Um
A) The top hats are adorable
B) I think everything should hide a peanut butter cup from now on
C) I like that it looks like Belle is only wearing graham crackers right there.
The great thing about not working 9-6 anywhere and having a roommate who made everything in this post in order to write it is that I am sitting at home reading the final post and eating these things at the same time.
Perhaps I am the real winner here.
my roommate, ladies and gents. definitely the real winner.
This is intense.
like camping?
This reminds me of the time I was playing drunken Apples to Apples with some friends and the green card was “intense” and I played “circus” and no one got it. I’m still a little bitter.
Yes! Exactly like camping.
i want to make sweet sticky love to this post
get in line!
let’s tag team vanessa’s food!
Does anyone have a good (like actually yummy) gluten-free alternative to graham crackers? Because I NEED those last s’more Reese’s bar things.
I don’t know the exact recipe, but my mom makes a GF graham cracker crumb alternative using GF flours (rice flower, I think) and Honey, baked in the oven. GF graham cracker crumbs can be found at some supermarkets too.
There are actually gluten-free graham crackerish things from… glutenfreeda I think. I found them at Superstore and Sobeys, but those are both Western Canadian chains. USAians might be out of luck.
Kinnikinnick has gluten free graham crackers.
I’ll be bringing some to camp.
Ok, this is great, but you’ve left out one very important way to eat s’mores: PIE!
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/02/smores-pie/
I will marry the first person to make me vegan s’mores.
Placing my Sweet & Sara order right now.
HELLO I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT THESE
IS IT SATURDAY YET?!
NO BUT IT IS SATURDAY NOW
I clicked through to that Sweet Life recipe and spontaneously orgasmed.
I like you for the s’mores, Vanessa. But I love you for the Disney princess plate.
when we finally hang out i will serve you a s’more on the disney princess plate. GET READY.
Once when I was a little baby lesbian, I thought I’d be especially clever and roast marshmallows in the middle of winter over a gas stove. Genius! I grabbed a fork and a bag of marshmallows and began to roast away. How had this not ocurred to me sooner? No more would I be forced to wait for campfire season to enjoy s’mores. I grabbed my first perfectly toasted marshmallow, pulled it off the fork and popped it into my mouth. Success. I eyed the gooey marshmallow remains on the fork and STUCK THE SEARING HOT FORK INTO MY MOUTH TO LICK OFF THE MARSHMALLOW-Y RESIDUE, consequently burning fork-marks into my lips and tongue…My parents didn’t even offer me their sympathy. They just stood in the kitchen laughing at me, wondering how their daughter could be such an idiot…
suggestion: use a wooden skewer soaked in water for several minutes. or…take the thing off the fork before eating it. up to you, really.
YES YES PEANUT BUTTER SMORE COMBOOOOOOO = FLAWLESS VICTORY
If you don’t have a gas stove and still want melty ooey-gooey s’more goodness, pop your pre-melted s’more creation in the microwave for a few seconds. It works amaaaaaazingly. Did this for a client meeting once (long story) and they were blown away.
Just remember to keep your eyes on the marshmallow, lest it blows up.
DROOOOOOOOOLLL
The on-the-go s’more is like a s’more trail mix and sounds like the best trail mix ever
You guys, I’m Hungry Like the Wolf for some graham-cracker-y chocolate-y marsh…mallow…y… Deliciousness.
*Drooling* Too bad I can’t make these for my girlfriend, she’s a strict vegetarian practically vegan :(
This post has inspired to set up a s’mores station when my parents have a party next weekend. I will probably eat like half of them, but they will be so good. I am thinking instead of hershey’s, using peanut butter cups, york patties, cadbury carmello squares, and any other candy I think will work. Oh the glorious gooeyness.
It would make life so much easier if all marshmallows were vegetarian.
Yo could I put the on-the-go s’more mixture in ovensafe containers and put them on broil for a minute?
Would that be a good idea or a bad idea?
yo that sounds like the BEST idea
I’ll let you know if anything explodes.
Initial reaction – OMG what is a s’more; I want one.
Why have I never heard of these before? I don’t think it’s a thing in Australia.. we just roast marshmellows by their lonesome. Damn you Americans are just so creative with your sweets!
i think this means your calling in life is to bring s’mores to australia
Clearly you weren’t a girl guide? Coz I’ve been stuffing myself with smores for years, after learning them for a camping badge. Not sure how chocolate will help me survive in the wilderness…but at least I’ll be happy as I freeze to death next to the pile of tent I never learnt to put up.
I want every day to be s’more appreciation day!!! The pb-s’more bar things make my Minnesota heart go giddyup!
Did you guys know that Russell Stover makes individual packages of s’mores? Just found this out yesterday and they’re actually pretty good. I microwaved it for 10 seconds though and had to eat it with a spoon, so don’t do that.
I haven’t been on autostraddle since June because I’ve been working at Girl Scout camp without internet. I’ve been eating a lot of s’mores. This was like a happy “welcome back to the internet, Colleen” post!
oh that makes me super happy. welcome back to the internet, colleen!!
I make lazy s’mores. Chocolate coated wheat biscuits, marshmallows cooked over a candle in front of the tv. Mmmmm.