You don't need a campfire to
make a Smore, and you certainly don't need to be a child to enjoy
eating one. A Smore (or S'more) takes roasted marshmallows and pieces of
chocolate and sandwiches them between two graham crackers. Credit for
inventing this sweet and gooey snack goes to the Girl Scouts of America who
included a recipe in their 1927 Girl Scout Handbook. The name "S'more" comes
from their tasting so good that after eating one, people were said to ask
for "some more". In the States we honor the Smore by celebrating "National
S'more Day" on August 10 (although it's not an official holiday).
Now eating a Smore can be messy business, which makes it
perfect food for eating outside around a campfire. For eating at home,
however, we need a more practical Smore, one that can be easily made in
our kitchens. The answer is a Smore bar (or square). This dessert still uses
graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate only in a slightly different
way. The graham crackers are going to be in crumb form and mixed with
melted butter. Sound familiar? Yes, we are making a graham cracker crust
and it is pressed into a baking pan and baked until golden and set. Then
we top the baked crust with miniature marshmallows and chocolate chips (or
chunks) and pop it back into the oven until the chocolate starts to melt
and the marshmallows become all soft and golden. Unlike a Smore that is
eaten straight away, these squares need to be cooled completely before
removing them from the pan and cutting into squares. They are wonderfully
soft and gooey and sweet with the flavors of graham crackers, chocolate,
and caramelized marshmallows. I like to think of them as my homemade candy
bar.
Of course, store bought miniature marshmallows are perfectly acceptable
in these Smores especially when you are short on time. However, using
homemade marshmallows (recipe
here) in these bars will take them to a whole different level. If you
plan ahead the marshmallows can be made up to two weeks in advance and
since you won't need the whole batch, there will still be some
marshmallows leftover for making hot chocolate (recipe
here) or Rice Krispies Treats (recipe
here). If you use homemade marshmallows in these bars you will notice
that they will lose their shape and become a solid layer of melted
marshmallow. Store bought marshmallows, on the other hand, while becoming
soft and caramelized, do tend to keep their shape when baked.
Note: If you live in a country where graham crackers are unavailable,
use crushed Digestive Biscuits.
S'Mores: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180
degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom
and sides of an 8 x 8 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan with aluminum foil.
Stir together the
graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until all
the crumbs are moistened. Press this
mixture firmly onto the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes,
or just until the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle with the chocolate chips and
marshmallows. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the
marshmallows are soft, lightly golden, and starting to meld together. Remove from oven and
place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, lift the squares from the
pan by holding the edges of the foil. With a long sharp knife, cut into squares. Can be stored at room temperature
for several days.
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