S'mores

metalspinner · June 08, 2012, 11:54:35 PM

The trick to making the perfect S'more is to toast the marshmallow just enough so it doesn't catch on fire, yet long enough so it squishes between the graham crackers without cracking them. ;D

We had plenty of practice tonight around the firepit. You cannot rush a good S'more campfire. Let it burn down to mostly coals. If you get impatient and toast over a roaring flame, you will definately end up with a flaming missle of death whipped across the yard. A hardwood fire is best. Softwoods impart a nasty, sappy taste into the marshmallow. Be careful to control the end of the stick! You don't want ashes on your marshmallow.

We tried some crazy alternatives to the traditional method of toast-assemble-squish-eat (TASE). One new method that started with great interest was to stuff the marshmallow with the chocolate then toast it. It seemed like a good idea, but is wrought with peril. First you must intentionally break up a perfectly good piece of chocolate to fit inside of a marshmallow. Then you need to somehow get it to stick on the end of the stick. If you successfully toast it and assemble your s'more, you are left with just the itty-bitty piece of chocolate you managed to poke into your marshmallow. That screws up the entire marshmallow to graham cracker to chocolate ratio (M:GC:Ch)

Another factor to consider when trying to achieve the perfect S'more is the type of graham cracker. There are many variety from which to choose - honey, chocolate, cinnamon, fat-free, plain, etc. Honey gives a nice robust, full-bodied flavor. Chocolate grahams are just too much. Fat-free? Why bother? My preference is cinnamon. When in doubt, I always go for the cinnamon flavored anything.

I like to buy the mixed bag of Hershey's Miniature Chocolate bars. Mr. Goodbar being my favorite. Crackle bar is redundant because of the graham cracker. Special Dark Chocolate can be kind of pretentious. Hershey's Milk Chocolate is the historical standard, of course.

The most important ingredient in the S'more is definately the marshmallow. You cannot go cheap here and buy the store brand. Nothing but the industry standard Jet-Puffed by Kraft will do. Don't be lured by the mega-sized marshmallows they now sell. Those are just too DanG big to get an even heat distribution through out the entire girth of the marshmallow. Not only that, but you will surely crack your graham crackers trying to squish the unmelted center of that big thing. Not to mention screwing up the M:GC:Ch ratio we spoke about earlier.

So, in closing, the perfect S'more starts with Kraft Jett-puffed marshmallows, Hershey's Mr. Goodbar Mini's, and Cinnamon Flavored graham crackers. Toast the marshmallow just enough so it squishes between the crackers without breaking them. Then wait just about 10 seconds for the heated marshmallow to start melting your chocolate bar. ;D

Norm · June 09, 2012, 07:01:33 AM

Are you up this late thinking I can't believe how many I ate. :D

thecfarm · June 09, 2012, 07:50:35 AM

How many kids were helping out with the findings? ;D

metalspinner · June 09, 2012, 10:15:28 AM

Norm,
The best part about perfecting the perfect S'more is committing to all practice it takes to be the best. :D

thecfarm,
Last night it was just us, my neice and nephew, and a neighbor. So 5 little kids and 6 grown ones. ;)

I am the cub master for my son's cub scout pack. We just had a camp out a couple of weeks agon and it seems that most of the time when the adults are speaking to the kids everything is sooo serious. The kids think they are in school then loose interest. Around the campfire that first night I got up all serious-like and gave my "S'more Presentation." :D :D It was pretty funny. :D I think I ruffled a couple of feathers of some of the other adult leaders. ;D