For me, like for many Americans, s'mores bring back memories of summer camp, sitting by the fire roasting marshmallows and singing stupid camp songs like
Black socks they never get dirty
The longer you wear them the blacker they get
Some day maybe I'll launder them
Something keeps telling me don't do it yet (not yet, not yet, not yet...)
--a very deep and philosophical ditty that I'm sure many of you remember. The word s'more comes from the expression "some more", perhaps as it would sound with ones mouth full of s'more? It consists, (I specify for anyone who lacked a childhood) of fire-roasted marshmallows sandwiched between chocolate and graham crackers.
Wikipedia describes the roasting process this way: A marshmallow is skewered on the end of a long stick and held just above the campfire until (according to personal preference) its outer surface starts to brown, char, or even catch fire.
Catch fire! Mmmmmm!
I had the pleasure of introducing D. to s'mores during our vacation and have been solicited for them non-stop since. Last night, we were planning to make a fire on the beach and eat s'mores with my sister and her friends, but since it was pouring rain we were relegated to staying inside, building a fire in the wood-burning stove and stuffing our faces with s'mores in the comfort of our warm, dry home. Most of us were fans of the "catch fire" method of cooking marshmallows:
S'mores have become so popular in the US since the 1920s when they first showed up, you can find all kind of recipes with those ingredients. Here are some if you're curious:
S'mores Tart from Big City, Little Kitchen
Indoor S'mores from Taste and Tell
Hershey's S'more Cookie Bars
Busy Cooks: Strawberry S'more Tart
Ben and Jerry's also now has S'mores ice cream, which I'm assured by D. is a downright miracle ;-)
4 comments:
Now I want S'mores! Although once you've had them made with handmade marshmallow and fresh-baked graham crackers, the Stay-Puft and Honey Maid just isn't the same...
I know, I'm a hopeless pastry snob!
I love s'mores. Is there anything better? My dad is so patient with roasting his marshmallows... gets them perfectly golden. I like to just stick them in the fire and let them burn :)
Camille - oh man, you are a snob (but I mean that lovingly of course)! Aren't gourmet s'mores an oxymoron? You'll have to enlighten me :-)
Kristen - I definitely don't have the patience to be a slow-roaster but I admire that golden brown color. Watching your marshmallow go up in flames is pretty satisfying too though!
i spent a simultaneously sad and glorious weekend my freshman year of college with a bag of marshmellows, a box of chocolate shavings, a lighter and three forks. two friends and i took turns igniting our marshmellows, mushing chocolate on them, and snarfling them down.
not the same as real smores but in a philadelphia basement, it was as close as we were getting. and it was YUM.
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