'Smores Without a Campfire

"This is 'smores stuff. First you take the graham. You stick the chocolate on the graham. Then, you roast the mallow. When the mallow's flaming, you stick it on the chocolate and cover it with the other end. Then, you scarf."  ~ The Sandlot

There are three secrets to the amazingness of these 'Smores:

1. Homemade Graham Crackers
2. Dark Chocolate
3. No campfire needed!

They package nicely as a gift!

 
After 5 minutes in the oven (@400), they come out toasty, melty and warm 

I don't even know where to start on how much I love these 'Smores Without a Campfire. I only know about them because they were given to me as a gift by my sweet friend, Celani. She perfectly packaged the homemade graham crackers, dark chocolate and large marshmallows along with the recipe and instructions. She also included a fluted pastry cutter and the cinnamon sugar topping so I could re-make the graham crackers. Let me tell you, this was a wonderful gift to receive!  I enjoyed eating them the first time, and I have enjoyed making them for my family and friends again and again. 

So, here's the thing. You COULD use store bought graham crackers and make these 'Smores by following 3 simple steps: assemble 'Smores, bake @ 400 for 5-7 minutes, and enjoy!  

But... you would be missing out on a real treat if you didn't make the homemade graham crackers. They are special.  They are worth the effort to make. In fact, last summer, I made a batch of these and packed them in my carry-on luggage so that we could make 'Smores Without a Campfire on vacation. 

Homemade Graham Crackers (adapted from Gifts Cooks Love) 

1 1/2 cups graham flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or Sugar in the Raw) mixed with about 1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, sift together the graham flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (oops, I used the whisk!), beat together butter, salt and egg on high speed until smooth (2-3 minutes.) Add the honey and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. With the mixer on low, add 1/2 the flour and combine. Add the remaining half and mix until just combined - don't over mix!  Press the dough into a flat disk (I did this on my pizza stone), cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (don't skip the parchment paper - my grahams stuck on non-stick cookie sheets without it.) Roll out parchment paper for a work surface and liberally dust it with graham flour. Roll out the dough, as close to a square as possible, 1/8" thick. Use a pastry cutter with a fluted wheel to cut graham crackers into desired size. (I cut most of mine slightly larger than the chocolate squares for 'Smores; but I cut a few bite-sized grahams for snacking.)  

Transfer grahams to parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch apart. Poke holes into each graham.

Sprinkle with cinnamon-turbinado sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes, or until slightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Once graham crackers have cooled, top with dark chocolate squares (I used 2 chocolate squares per graham) and marshmallows (I used 1 large 'mallow per graham... 2 ended up being too much!)

Toast 'Smores in the oven at 400 for 5-7 minutes, or until 'mallow is toasty, chocolate is melty, and graham is soft. They will look like this:

After 5 minutes in the oven (@400), they come out toasty, melty and warm 

Unused homemade graham crackers can be stored, airtight, on the counter for up to three weeks. Or... packaged and given as gifts.

I stored the homemade grahams and the 'mallows

Print Recipe Here.