S’mores are a quintessential summer treat

A favorite summer treat is s’mores, a gooey confection made of graham crackers, chocolate and toasted marshmallows.

There are countless variations on a s’more — you can substitute a fudge stripe cookie for the graham cracker, hazelnut spread for the chocolate and marshmallow fluff for the marshmallows.

Or elevate it by spreading each side of the graham cracker with cream cheese, then topping it with sliced strawberries and roasted marshmallows.

Instead of toasting the marshmallow over an open fire — be it a campfire or the grill — you can broil it.

But this classic flavor combination can be reinvented in tons of different ways, from cookies to cakes to cocktails. 

And while making individual s’mores can be messy and time consuming, many variations can create foods ideal for a crowd.

Try, for example, a s’more cereal treat or bar.

You can make a s’more pizza or taco — definitely more of a dessert than an entree — or make a frozen s’more latte.

The flavors of a s’more can be used in brownies or tarts. Or make a s’mores pie with a buttery and toasty graham cracker crust, a rich chocolaty cold pudding filling and topped with Swiss meringue broiled or toasted with a torch.

You can even make a s’more cake. Use a cake mix to create layers of chocolate cake separated by marshmallow cream and topped with a chocolate ganache sprinkled with crushed graham crackers.

After all, s’mores are a treat that can be enjoyed year-round.

Following are some recipes for s’more-flavored treats from www.foodnetwork.com.

 

 

Dump S’mores

14 graham cracker cookies, each 2-1/2-by-5 inches 

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 

4 cups mini marshmallows  

Place graham crackers on an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet that’s lightly coated with cooking spray so they are touching each other. Top with chocolate and marshmallows. 

Bake in a 400-degree oven about 15 minutes, turning the baking sheet once about halfway through the cooking time, until marshmallows are puffed and golden all over. 

Remove and let cool five minutes, then gently push down on the marshmallows to help chocolate adhere to the graham crackers. Cool completely, then break the s’mores into pieces. 

S’mores can be stored in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers for as long as five days.

 

 

Upside-Down S’mores Tarts

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

8-ounce tube refrigerated crescent dough sheet

Flour

5 graham crackers sheets

4 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped

1 large egg, beaten

27 large marshmallows

F. Brush a baking sheet with the butter.

Roll crescent dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut into nine equal pieces, each 3-by-4 inches. Dock each rectangle with a fork, then transfer to a large plate or a baking sheet and refrigerate.

Halve each graham cracker sheet crosswise into two squares. Evenly space nine of the squares on a baking sheet that’s been brushed with the melted butter. Crush remaining graham cracker squares into a coarse dust and set aside. 

Top each graham cracker square with one tablespoon chopped chocolate, evenly distributing it across the cracker. Top each with a crescent dough rectangle. Use your fingers to seal the dough against the baking sheet, then use a paring knife to square off the sides of the dough and get clean straight edges. Brush dough rectangles with beaten egg and sprinkle graham cracker dust evenly over the tops.

Bake in a 375-degree oven 12 to 15 mi, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove tarts from the oven and use a spatula to flip them over so graham cracker squares are facing up. Top each tart with three marshmallows in a triangle in the center. Bake 30 seconds to one minutes, rotating the baking sheet if needed to get even browning, until the marshmallows are deep golden brown.

As soon as tarts come out of the oven, press down lightly on the marshmallows with a spatula or your fingers to spread them out a bit. Serve while warm.

 

 

S’mores Cereal Treats

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

10-ounce bag mini marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Kosher salt

7 cups graham-flavored cereal, such as Golden Grahams

12 fun-size chocolate bars, cut into thirds

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add all but one cup of the marshmallows and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the marshmallows melt completely. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Add cereal and stir with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape up the bottom, until cereal is completely coated. Let filling cool a few minutes, then quickly fold in the remaining marshmallows and chocolate bars.

Use a greased 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop mixture into lined cups of a muffin pan. Pat the tops together gently to help the treats hold their shape. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes, until firm.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for as long as three days.

 

 

S’more Pizza

2 1-pound store-bought pizza-dough balls

1/4 cup slivered almonds

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 cups mini marshmallows

2 4-ounce dark chocolate bars, broken into 1/4-inch chunks

Form pizza dough into two 12-to-14-inch rounds that are 1/4-inch thick. Bake in a 400-degree oven, preferably on a pizza stone or pizza pan, four to six minutes, until just beginning to brown. 

Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Melt butter in the skillet. Add graham cracker crumbs, chili powder, cayenne and salt. Cook two to three minutes, until crumbs are well coated. Remove from heat and set aside.

For each pizza, top crust with half the marshmallows, then scatter half of chocolate over the marshmallows. Bake three to five minutes, until marshmallows are puffed and lightly browned. Sprinkle pizza with half the graham cracker mixture and top with half the almonds. Let rest three to four minutes, then slice and serve. 

Repeat to make the second pizza.

 

 

Indoor S’more Sundae

For crust: 

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt 

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows

For chocolate sauce:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons whole milk

For crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt in a bowl. Firmly press into muffin tins to make individual crusts. Top each crust with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Press the mini marshmallows into the ice cream, covering the scoop completely. Repeat to make four “domes”. Freeze at least one hour. 

For chocolate sauce, toss chocolate chips with milk in a ramekin or small bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then set aside. Place s’more domes under a broiler set to low for 30 seconds, until marshmallows brown. Place each s’more on a plate and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

 

 

Mini Taco S’mores

10 8-inch flour tortillas

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups mini marshmallows

6 1.55-ounce milk chocolate bars, broken into rectangles

2 graham cracker sheets, finely crushed

Use a three-inch round cookie cutter to cut tortillas into 34 rounds.

Microwave butter, sugar and cinnamon in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until butter is melted. Brush both sides of tortilla rounds with butter mixture. 

Flip two 12-cup muffin tins upside down. Place tortilla rounds between the muffin cups in both directions, folding them to create mini taco shells. You should have 17. Bake in a 350-degree oven 11 to 13 minutes, until shells are crisp and just beginning to turn light golden brown. 

While still warm and in the muffin tin, carefully overstuff each shell with mini marshmallows. Using a kitchen blowtorch, toast marshmallows until golden brown all over. Stuff one milk chocolate rectangle on top of the marshmallows on each taco, pushing it down so the warm marshmallows melt the chocolate. Let sit five minuted, until partially melted, then use kitchen blowtorch to melt the chocolate completely. 

Put remaining chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted. 

Transfer tacos to a serving platter, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and serve warm alongside melted chocolate for dipping.

 

 

S’mores Cups

3/4 cup marshmallow creme

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled heavy cream

1 cup crushed graham crackers, plus 1 graham cracker sheet, broken into rectangles, for garnish

1 1/2 cups chocolate pudding 

4 jumbo marshmallows 

4 rectangles from a 1.55-ounce chocolate bar

Put marshmallow creme and two tablespoons heavy cream in a large chilled bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until creme is loosened, smooth and shiny. Add remaining heavy cream and whip to medium peaks, starting on low and then changing to medium speed.

Put two tablespoons crushed graham crackers in the bottom of each of four nine-ounce plastic tumbler cups. Top with three tablespoons marshmallow whipped cream, then three tablespoons chocolate pudding. Repeat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, place marshmallows onto skewers. Toast marshmallows over a hot grill or on the stove top.

Place a toasted marshmallow on top of each s’mores cup. Garnish with a piece of chocolate bar and graham cracker.

 

 

S’more Brownies

For crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1-1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch fine salt

For brownie:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 large cold eggs

1 cup flour

For topping:

4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Line an eight-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about one inch.

Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter with the crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake in a 325-degree oven about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

To make brownie, put butter and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt in microwave on 75% power for two minutes. Stir, then microwave about two minutes, until completely melted. Alternatively, put butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with one inch water to a very slow simmer, then set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. 

Stir light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick, glossy batter. Add flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean.

Remove from the oven. Carefully position a rack six inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler two minutes, until golden. 

Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold it away. Cut into 12 squares.

 

 

Frozen S’mores Lattes

4 teaspoons instant coffee

3 cups ice 

1 cup whole milk  

1/4 cup toasted marshmallow syrup

Whipped cream, for serving 

Chocolate syrup, for serving  

Crumbled graham crackers, for serving  

2 jumbo marshmallows, toasted 

For marshmallow syrup:

6 jumbo marshmallows

1 cup sugar  

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt  

To make syrup, thread marshmallows onto two disposable chopsticks and cook over the open flame of a stove two minutes, until toasted all over. 

Combine sugar and one cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat three minutes, until sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to low and add toasted marshmallows. Cook five to seven minutes, stirring continuously, turning down the heat if mixture starts to bubble up around the edges of the saucepan, until marshmallows are completely dissolved into an opaque mixture.  

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, then whisk in vanilla extract and salt. Cool completely Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container as long as one month.  

Dissolve instant coffee in one tablespoon warm water. Place in a high-powered blender. Add ice, milk and 1/4 cup toasted marshmallow syrup and blend until smooth and creamy.

Squirt whipped cream in the bottom of two tall, wide glasses, then drizzle with chocolate syrup. Divide frozen latte between the glasses. Top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, graham cracker crumbs and one toasted jumbo marshmallow.