Hey Steemians! It's Sunday and for a lot of us, that mean the last day of the weekend, SO...let's go out big!!

So does anyone remember me talking about s’mores recently? Well I finally got around to making them and I threw in a little variation from the typical 3-ingredient treat! That’s right, I made salted caramel marshmallows and I can’t wait for you to try them!

The reason I mentioned s’mores recently was because I had been explaining how shocked I was to find out that I have some close friends who had never even heard of, much less tasted, one!!! Isn’t that crazy? It sort of rocked my world realizing that the rest of the globe, outside the little culture bubble I was raised in, has no idea what they’re missing, you know?

I mean, s’mores are just supposed to be part of growing up, a rite of passage, and that’s what I was saying the other day. I told you how I decided I’d have to do something to acquaint the planet with them, remember? Okay, so yes it could take a while doing it this way, but hey, at least it’s a start. Haha, I’m open to suggestions or companions to further my crusade, wanna help?????

I’m going to pick on Diego, our friend and house guest from Venezuela. He sort of has a list going of all his favorite things I’ve made since he’s been staying with us. Anyway, when he tried these he said that they ranked up near the very top of the list right next to some of the crazy chocolate-loaded sweets that I’ve also made recently. If you knew his chocolate addiction you’d understand how much that says about these s’mores when they aren’t even 100% chocolate. It says that they really are all that!

I know that for some people the simplicity of a s’more is part of its appeal, but I still have to tell you, making the grahams yourself is totally worth it. It’s also a fun recipe to do with the kiddos if you want, oh, and you can use cookie cutters to cut out whatever shapes you want. Seasonal shapes to match the current holiday would be fun and then you can cut your mallows with the same shaped cutter so you’ll have some festive s’mores for your latest occasion. On the other hand, if you’re short on time you could definitely just choose to make either the grahams or the mallows and then use your favorite brand of the other. That way you can still enjoy a homemade touch and impress the guests but also cut the work in half. I get it, life is busy.

One more thing, because these marshmallows are homemade and also because they’re caramel, they don’t hold up for toasting over a fire quite the same as your store-bought varieties, so that’s why you’ll probably want to make these in your oven. If you do want to roast some over a campfire I’d suggest using something to warm the crackers and melt the chocolate over the fire and then just barely heat the mallows before putting the s’mores together. Okay, so I think that’s about it though. I really hope you love them and have a great week, guys!

RECIPE

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours

Yield: 12 s'mores (plus extra mallows and crackers)

Ingredients

S'mores:
24 graham crackers (recipe follows if making)
12 Salted Caramel Marshmallows (recipe follows)
Chocolate bars: about 225g (or 8oz) milk chocolate squares (semi-sweet dark chocolate works too)
Salted Caramel Marshmallows (makes about 24 marshmallows):
2 cups caramel ice cream topping or homemade caramel sauce (I used the brown butter caramel in this recipe)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/3 cup cold water
4 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter (for greasing pan)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
Homemade Graham Crackers (makes about 48 graham crackers):
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for work surface)

Instructions

S'mores:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Lay 24 graham crackers face-down on the tray and and about 3 squares of chocolate on each of the 12 crackers. Place the tray in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully, just until chocolate is starting to look melted. Remove and place 12 marshmallows on the other half of the crackers, then return pan to oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the marshmallows to get slightly warmed. (Be careful not to leave them very long as these homemade marshmallows will melt much quicker than store-bought)
   Salted Caramel Marshmallows:
2. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with butter and dust with powdered sugar. Combine caramel, water, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly over medium high heat. Once boiling, cook for about 5 minutes, scraping down any sugar that starts to crystallize on sides with a rubber spatula, until it reaches 238 degrees F (115 C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer combine gelatine with 1/3 cup cold water in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the hot caramel syrup into gelatin mixture while beating on low speed. Continue to increase speed and beat as it cools until it is thick and fluffy (it may take about 10 minutes). Add vanilla and beat in well. Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
5. Allow the marshmallow to cool and dry at a cool room temp for about 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Once they've set, mix the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Coat a sharp knife in mixture and use to cut marshmallows into squares. Coat all sides of mallows with mixture and place on a parchment lined tray.
   Homemade Graham Crackers:
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 C) and line a few cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Cream butter and brown sugar in a large bowl, then scrape sides and add milk, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Add flour a cup at a time and beat until dough is well mixed.
7. Divide dough into halves and roll out each portion, one at time, on a lightly floured surface in a layer about 1/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut squares about (2x2 inch) or you can use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes.
8. Place the cut-outs side by side (no need for much spacing because these don't spread much) and use a fork to make some small marks on each of them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are very lightly golden. Remove and cool completely.

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