Serves as many as you want
Music Pairing: Because by The Beatles
Graham crackers
Fresh raspberries
Peppermint chocolate bark
Marshmallows
long sturdy sticks, for toasting the marshmallows
Posting a recipe for s’mores seems a bit silly, but I do want to highlight the best method for a gooey, melted marshmallow. The kind that produces a lightly toasted exterior, with a center so melted, it’s practically quivering, ready to collapse and gush between the graham crackers and chocolate. It requires patience, like many things in life.
Most people thrust their marshmallow-laden sticks right into the center of the flames. This is a great method if you love gooey marshmallows with a charred exterior (a.k.a. burnt). I’ll admit, I love eating them plain like this. For s’mores, though, I don’t want the charred flavor to compete with the chocolate and other fillings. Let the marshmallow hover near the perimeter of the fire, swirling it frequently. Depending on the robustness of your flame, it can take a good 5 to 7 minutes for the marshmallows to tan on the outside and melt up nicely inside. This will feel like an eternity—be patient, the reward is well-worth the wait.
The rest is pretty self-explanatory. You place a piece of chocolate on top of one graham cracker (Gina also had a chocolate bark with coconut and mixed nuts—the woman is a genius). Rest the marshmallow on top of the chocolate, add a couple of raspberries and top with another graham cracker. Squish it together and gently pull out the stick, letting the melted marshmallow collapse between the layers. You may want to eat these in private the first time around. I let out some sounds that might not have been appropriate around children when I took my first bite.
Feel free to improvise here, and use your favorite chocolate bar and berries. We didn’t use homemade crackers or marshmallows, but you can certainly try your hand at them. I’ve been experimenting with a vegan marshmallow recipe of my own, and will share when it’s ready. As for homemade graham crackers, I must confess I’ve yet to come across a recipe that seems worth the time. They all tend to be too fussy, and my healthfood store sells a couple of brands that are made with good, wholesome ingredients. One day, I’ll crack the code for an easy from-scratch recipe, and am all ears if anyone has one to recommend!