Indoor Smores!
Don’t we love those summer nights of making s’mores on a campfire? But sometimes inclement weather has other plans in store. (Plus, there’s nothing that makes me more nervous than having toddlers run around a campfire!) In a partnership with Hershey’s, Live! Kelly and Mark had me on to share five ways to make “rainy day” versions of this summer staple…safely indoors and without a fire!
Amy s’more sandwiched between hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos!
TRADITIONAL S’MORES
What is it about the graham cracker plus melted marshmallow and chocolate that makes our palettes swoon? It is estimated that the first s’mores recipe originated in the 1920s out of a Campfire recipe book!
To make it in a microwave follow these easy steps:
In a microwave-safe bowl, add a little water to the marshmallows and initially heat for 20 seconds. Stir. Reheat as necessary in 5-second increments until melted.
In a separate bowl, break up the chocolate squares and microwave initially for 60 seconds. Work in 10-second increments until melted.
Spoon onto a graham cracker half small spoonfuls of the melted marshmallow, then melted chocolate: finish with another round of melted marshmallow. Top with remaining graham cracker.
INDOOR S’MORES BAR
Want to level up your standard s’more? Set out a S’mores Bar with all of the fun fixings and favorite toppings which can include:
The Elvis: peanut butter and a banana
nuts
fruit like raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries
mint
sprinkles
candied bacon
S’MORES SQUARES
Graham cracker crumbs (created in food processor)
Melted butter
Powdered sugar
4 Large Chocolate Bars
1 package mini marshmallows
Grease a 9x13 pan.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and slowly add the melted butter while stirring until you get a perfect dry/wet mixture for the press-in crust.
Press above mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan like you would a cheesecake crust.
Place in oven preheated to 350F degrees and bake for ~5-8 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool: crust will naturally harden.
Lay the broken Hershey bars evenly on top of the graham cracker mixture. Place in oven for a few minutes until melted & glossy.
Let cool for 1-2 min.
Place marshmallows on top of the chocolate so they are within touching distance.
Next, turn on Broiler. Put pan into oven and remove as soon as marshmallows begin to brown: 2 minutes …or less.
Let it cool completely. Cut squares with a knife warmed under hot water and dried (makes it easier to cut the bars) and serve. Wipe the knife frequently to avoid it getting overly sticky.
S’MORES DIP
This dip will be the hit of any party and makes for a fun centerpiece amidst other food!
Into a cast iron pan (which helps to keep our dip hot, or use any ~8-9” baking dish you have) evenly break up and distribute the chocolate bars into bite-sized pieces.
Add a layer of marshmallows atop the chocolate pieces. Place them “loosely” touching each other as they will expand.
Bake the pan in a preheated oven until the marshmallows are lighly toasted and browned and the chocolate is mostly melted underneath. Remove the pan from the oven and let the dip further melt and meld into itself.
Break up graham crackers into “sticks” to use as dippers.
Tip: if, and that’s a big IF you have dip that’s been out for a bit and starts to get stiff, you can always reheat in the oven to get it good and melty! But this would be rare indeed as people will likely just eat it all up!
NO-BAKE S’MORES POPS
I adore these easy, modern and elevated pops that really make a s’more-ific statement.
Melt chocolate in the microwave, see instructions above. For seamless melting.
Use a food processor to grind down graham crackers into a dust and place in a small bowl.
Place a large marshmallow atop a cake pop stick: many grocery stores are carrying this now for purchase.
Assembly line: dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate and dip lightly in the graham cracker dust and place the s’mores stick into a cake pop stand or styrofoam base.