Take this cookout treat to the next level this summer.
We won’t lie: these s’mores are a fair amount of work, but that work can all be done well ahead of time. By the time you’re ready to toast the homemade marshmallows and set them piping hot on a bit of chocolate before squishing it all together between homemade graham crackers, you’ll be able to revel in your handiwork along with everyone else.
Photo credit: Danika McDowell
Homemade S’mores
For the ultimate from-scratch s’mores, Jeanette Miller of Tout de Sweet Confectionary in Victoria, Canada suggests whipping up a batch of vanilla marshmallows, toasting them over a low flame, then cracking open a bar of Canadian fair-trade Camino chocolate, and sandwiching it all between homemade graham crackers.
Servings 12
Calories
Ingredients
For the vanilla marshmallows:
- 5 teaspoons unflavoured powdered gelatin
- ¾ cup cold water divided
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- ¼ cup tapioca or corn starch
For the graham crackers:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup honey
To assemble the s’mores:
- 2- inch wide pieces of chocolate 1 per s’more
Instructions
To make the marshmallows:
- Whisk together gelatin and ½ cup cold water and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup boils and then reaches exactly 240°F.
- While the syrup is cooking, microwave gelatin mixture for 1 minute on high and then pour into a mixing bowl. Mix on med-high for approximately 3 minutes or until gelatin turns white and is very light and fluffy.
- When the syrup reaches 240°F, pour it slowly into the bowl with the fluffy gelatin. Beat on med-high for 10 minutes. Add vanilla extract and then mix for 1 to 2 minutes more on the highest setting. Pour mixture into an 8-x-8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and let set for at least 6 hours at room temperature.
- Sift icing sugar and starch together to create the coating mixture, then sift generously over top of the marshmallow. Use a knife to loosen the mallow from the edges of the pan and invert onto a work surface. Cut into squares and dip into the remaining coating mixture.
To make the graham crackers:
- In the bowl of a food processor, blend together the flours, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Drop in pieces of butter and the honey, and blend thoroughly. Scrape the dough onto plastic wrap, shape into a cylinder and wrap thoroughly. Refrigerate until firm but pliable, about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to ⅛” thickness and cut into 3-inch squares. Place on baking sheets and prick each one several times with a fork. Chill each tray for 15 minutes, then bake for 15 minutes until just golden. Let set for 1 minute before transferring cookies to a rack.
To make each s’more:
- Set a square or two of chocolate on a graham cracker. Toast a marshmallow over a low flame until golden brown and heated through (of course, you may choose to incinerate your marshmallow because you love that burnt sugar flavor). Set the marshmallows, still hot, on the chocolate. Set a second graham cracker on top of the marshmallow and gently push down to help melt the chocolate. Enjoy.
*This recipe comes to us from Edible Vancouver Island, where it was part of a big article on outdoor, beach cooking. Photo credit: Danika McDowell