Who doesn’t like S’MORES? This toasty and tasty snack is the perfect campfire treat. Every important food group is in every S’more. You have your marshmallows, chocolates, graham crackers, and … Oh, and did I mention chocolate? 

When Montana Grant has a campfire, we often make a S’more Buffet Bar. Simply place an assortment of crackers, cookies, jellies, candy, fruit, and goodies on the table. Let campers design, invent, and name their own creations. My only rule is you just can’t eat the candy bars. 

For me the best chocolate is a Hershey Bar and I feel that the Jumbo style Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallows take a S’more to a new level. Quality Graham crackers, that are not stale, are important, but there are also many other tasty and sturdy platforms to build a S’more upon. Burnt and flaming marshmallows lack the mallow flavor but the carbon char burn does reduce campfire flatulence. 

The earliest known S’more recipe was printed in a Girl Scout camping guide in 1927. The article was called “Some More”. The recipe served 8 Scouts and called for 8 sticks. 16 marshmallows, and 8 chocolate bars. “Though it tastes like some more, one is really enough.”

Modern Marshmallows can be found in a variety of colors, flavors, and sizes. The coconut covered ones make a great S’more. Some marshmallows are chubby and round while others are flat and wafer and graham cracker sized. They now make marshmallows called “PUFFS” that come preloaded with chocolate!

Marshmallows are actually a Marsh Flower that is common in most wetlands. Their white and pink flowers have fed native peoples and pioneers for centuries. The picked flowers, roots, and sap were heated and smashed into a sweet paste that was eaten using their fingers or spread onto biscuits. This special recipe was used medicinally and at special events.

Modern Mallows are not Vegan. They contain gelatin which comes from mammal hooves and connective tissues. Corn Syrup, sugar, and gelatin are whipped to trap air and make a fluffy product. Coating them with corn starch or powdered sugar will keep the mallows from sticking together. Food coloring and flavorings can make different presentations. Chemical stabilizers will help preserve marshmallows. The hot sun will melt all mallows. 

To make a S’more, toast a Marshmallow over the fire until golden brown or the doneness/burntness you prefer. The stick can be made from a nontoxic/ poisonous branch. Avoid sumac, etc. A long fork or a fork wired onto a stick will hold the soft mallow in place. Once the mallow is toasted, place it onto a graham cracker that has a section of chocolate bar on it. Use another graham cracker to smush and pull the melted mallow of the fork. This can be a 2-camper job. 

Homemade Marsh Mallows are fun to make. Most homemade recipes contain egg whites. Here is a simple recipe.

• Equal parts sugar, water, and corn syrup
• Vanilla
• Gelatin powder
• Egg Whites

Cook the sugar/corn syrup and water until the mixture reaches 250 -265 degrees. Dissolve the gelatin powder into the mixture using a whisk. (Flavored gelatin will give different tastes.) In another bowl, whip the egg whites into soft peaks. Continue to beat while pouring in the warm syrup mixture. Pour slowly and whip until the egg whites are very stiff. Now stir in some vanilla. Spread the stiff mixture into a prepared pan to a thickness of an inch or… Let the marshmallows rest overnight before cutting. 

You can use other flavorings, chocolate pieces, Graham cracker crumbles, cookie crumbles, shredded toasted coconut or to invent your own special flavors and textures. You can cut the mallows into traditional cubes or use a cookie cutter to make seasonal shapes. I have a fish shaped cookie cutter that makes fun fish mallows. 

Store the Mallows for up to 3-4 weeks at room temperature, in a sealable zip bag or container. Commercial marshmallows are labeled with an expiration date, but all mallows can be frozen for 3 or more months. The fresher the fluffier!

You can also use the homemade marshmallow fluff on cereals, ice cream, icings, and snowballs. Just make it into the consistency that you desire. 

S’more please!

Montana Grant