S’mores, anyone?

Who doesn’t love the sweet, gooey, deliciousness of a s’more?

For anyone who has sat around a campfire, chances are you had some graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars in tow. S’mores, a contraction of “some more,” are such a campfire tradition! It is probably the most unhealthy sandwich on the planet, but s’mores reign supreme as the perfect late night, sweet treat.

The key ingredient, and really the only work involved, is roasting the marshmallows. As kids and scouts, we used to cut new tree branches, about 3 feet long and still green so they wouldn’t burn as easily. We’d take a pocket knife (or an adult would) and sharpen one end to a point so the marshmallows could easily be skewered. I think two marshmallows is the magic number for maximum coverage but still manageable eating, especially for small hands.

The real debate is how much to cook the marshmallows. Cooking techniques vary by s’more eaters! Some are careful to stay to the edges of the fire and rotate their marshmallows oh-so-carefully above the burning orange embers to toast them to the very lightest of golden browns. Meanwhile, others stick them right in and go for the flaming ball of fire (!), which is pretty hard to avoid if you are over eager and just want a quick, charred melt with little fuss.

Regardless of your method, when that marshmallow hits the chocolate and gets lightly pressed between the graham crackers, a special magic happens. The sticky fingers and dripping chocolate on your chin is just part of the s’more experience. And like potato chips, who can eat just one? Most people find themselves reloading their stick within a few minutes, always intent on building a better s’more.

There are few traditions as enjoyable as s’mores, and us adults (be honest) enjoy them as much as the kids. For a few dollars, they bring a whole lot of fun and campfire memories.

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Photos courtesy KLEM Studios.