Posts Tagged "smores"

American Appreciation-Smores

Posted by cafebebemama on Aug 3, 2010 in American Mum Me, Motherhood | 7 comments

Smores- So Good You'll Want Some More!

Smores are an American creation involving biscuits, marshmallows and chocolate. Generally, smore making occurs around a campfire in the summertime but it can also take place around a grill in the back garden or maybe even over a gas flame in the kitchen! (Haven’t tried that one…please report back to me if you attempt this but don’t blame me if it goes horribly wrong.) The traditional American ingredients are:

Honey Maid Graham Crackers

Hershey's Milk Chocolate

Marshmallows

Smores remind me of my childhood and summers at Sand Lake, Wisconsin, USA. We would start the fire after dinner and let it burn down until there were only embers. My Dad would cut branches from small trees on our land (they need to be GREEN branches so they don’t burn during the roasting process) and whittle the tip to a point. We’d then find our perfect place in the fire…not too hot, not too cold, not to flamey! The best was when you found a bit of rock or log that you could rest your stick on so you could rotate it in a controlled fashion for optimum roasting perfection. When you see a teeny bit of smoke coming off the marshmallow, pull it back or you’ll end up with charred marshmallows! You’re aiming for a warm, brown colour around the whole of the marshmallow. This is tricky…especially getting the sides properly toasted. When you can master this, you have arrived!

Now, for the assembly of the smore! It’s best to lay out the biscuits and chocolate in preparation for the marshmallow because you don’t want to be pfaffing about with a nice, toasty marshmallow that’s rapidly cooling. Set the following on a plate: 2 biscuits next to each other and your chocolate of choice sitting neatly on one of the biscuits, as much in the middle as possible. As we’re in England you can feel free to substitute Digestive or Rich Tea biscuits for Graham Crackers and pick your favourite sort of chocolate. If you’re feeling very luxurious and lazy you could even opt for a chocolate covered Digestive in addition to your chosen chocolate.

Roast your marshmallow as per the instructions above. You’re aiming for perfectly brown and toasty, remember! Unless you like carbon or are carbon deficient in your diet. Once your marshmallow is toasted, turn to your prepared biscuits, rest the marshmallow-still on the stick- on the biscuit with the chocolate and with the other biscuit, make a sandwich and gently extract the stick from the marshmallow leaving the gooey goodness snuggled between the biscuits and chocolate. Let the warm marshmallow do its work for a few minutes…it will melt the chocolate a bit which makes it that much more indulgent to bite into.

And then it’s time for the pleasure of a smore. Bite into its sticky, messy, delightfully childish splendor. You’ll end up with marshmallow everywhere (it is rather glue like) but it’s so worth it! This is part of why roasting, assembling and eating smores is best done in the outdoors. It’s a bit messy! If you have a child who’s old enough and can be trusted with a sharp stick, an open flame and molten hot marshmallow, have them do the roasting and assembling and you can enjoy the fruits of their labour. Wipes will definitely come in handy. When the roasting has come to an end simply throw the sticks on the fire and your mess is taken care of. Adult indulgence in a children’s treat! Glorious!

If you’d rather not have a smore in the traditional sense, you can skip the biscuits but still enjoy the marshmallowey goodness by roasting your marshmallow as above and then when roasted, gently remove the marshmallow from the stick. Usually, if roasted properly, the top layer of the marshmallow will pull right off leaving a perfect cavity to pop a bit of chocolate in and then place the whole thing in your mouth. You’re left with the “guts” of the marshmallow on your stick which you can roast again and polish off, straight off the stick (mind…it can be very hot). Not quite as calorific but still scrummy!

I hope you’ll try Smores at your next barbecue or camp fire and think of me and America when you do so! We have a few traditions that are rather delightful. I’d like to think that Smores will become just as popular in your family as they were in ours. Give them a go…what have you got to lose? One word of advice, however: when you are sourcing your marshmallows here in the UK, stay away from marshmallows that have a sugar or candy coating. They just don’t roast or puff up properly and end up burning which takes away all of the fun. Plain, old white marshmallows! Good luck! Please report back on your success or failure and feel free to share any pictures!

Hubby & his Nephews practising their roasting- Summer 2007

Smore Chubby Bunnies Please

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 27, 2010 in American Mum Me, Blogger Love, Vlog Posts | 16 comments

So good you'll want s'more!

In the ongoing effort to keep my blog full of scintilating content both educational and entertaining, I give you…my second vlog post:

(In the interest of Health & Safety, do NOT allow children to attempt this challenge without proper adult supervision.  It’s amazing how quickly your throat can become blocked and I’d hate to see any choking incidents arising out of a bit of harmless fun!)

Fascinating stuff isn’t it??  I now digress to share an American tradition and much better use of marshmallows…S’Mores.  S’Mores are a sickeningly sweet, American tradition which is popular, if not required, at campfires, summer get-togethers and the Fourth of July.  Here is what you need:

• 1 pack of marshmallows- preferably imported from America.  European marshmallows tend to have a sugary coating which seriously hampers the melt-a-bility of the marshmallow.  I can hook you up if you need some.
• Digestive biscuits- the traditional American recipe uses “Graham Crackers” but they are not available in the UK.  If someone knows where you can get some in the UK, contact me immediately!
• Chocolate- your choice and preferably a bar or three depending on your sweet tooth and the amount of guests you’re entertaining.  I recommend DARK chocolate as it gives your s’more a hint of adult naughtiness.  The kids will appreciate milk chocolate.
• A stick- you will need to find a stick from a live tree as the stick should be “green” so as not to burst into flames when you hold it over your campfire/grill.  This should only involve using a simple knife so Dad’s need not get out the chainsaw.
• A fire- you want to let the fire die down before attempting to roast your marshmallows.  If you plunge your marshmallow into a raging flame, you will incinerate your marshmallow thereby rendering it useless.  Unless you like the taste of carbon.  My mom was partial to burned marshmallows.  Wait for the dying embers and find a little hidey-hole to nestle your marshmallow & stick into.  When you see some nice colouring, rotate your marshmallow.  Keep it moving and if you see smoke, take it out and let it rest.  When you feel you have suitably toasted your marshmallow take it out of the flames.

Now, prior to the actual roasting, you will want to have your supplies laid out by your fire.  Have the digestive biscuit ready with the chocolate squares placed on one of the biscuits.  When your marshmallow is roasted and still on the stick, place the marshmallow on the digestive & chocolate and take the other digestive biscuit to make the sandwich.  You can then extricate your stick from the marshmallow thus leaving your crispy marshmallow nestled between biscuits and chocolate.  Leave the marshmallow to melt the chocolate a bit and then dive in.  I highly recommend having a packet of wipes at the ready.  You will need them as the marshmallow is the modern day equivalent to glue!  It’s also fun, if you’re particularly desperate, to pop a roasted marshmallow right into your mouth and revel in its sugary, campfire goodness!  Mmmm.  My husband doesn’t understand but I assure you, your children will LOVE you for introducing a new family treat.  Let me know how you get on!