S'mores are not just your traditional campfire fare anymore

Mrs. Weiss taught me how to make s'mores heated over a fire pit in a park.

My Brownie troop leader wasn't much of a camper, so I learned to make s'mores in the suburbs next to the swings and monkey bars. S'mores, those gooey concoctions of roasted marshmallow and melted chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers, became an early culinary challenge.

While the other girls amused themselves by catching their fluffy-white marshmallows on fire, I sought out ways to melt the interior without charring the exterior. To me, the flavor meant more than the fun. What a food geek.

So imagine how delighted I was to meet Lisa Adams, author of "S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion'' (Gibbs Smith, $16.95). Adams, a writer and camping enthusiast with a sweet tooth, offers a book filled with inventive tips for roasting marshmallows and melting chocolate over a campfire, barbecue or gas stovetop. Even s'mores baked in an oven or nuked in the microwave (OK, the marshmallows aren't technically "roasted'' using these approaches, but they are puffed and heated).

There are more than 60 recipes in her book, each one a variation on the s'more theme. Some include fresh fruit, others show off warm caramel. Some have almonds, others peanut butter. Some are topped with cookies instead of graham crackers. One positions a hot-roasted marshmallow in the heart of a donut.

On the barbecue

Over a charcoal fire in my backyard barbecue (holding a marshmallow stuck on a straightened-out coat hanger), Adams told me that most people (well, adults anyway) prefer their marshmallows roasted to a toasty golden brown.

She said they can be perfectly warm and melted on the inside, yet bed-sheet white on the outside. Who knew?

"The perfect marshmallow comes from steady rotation near a heat source,'' she said, revealing the finer points of roasting marshmallows. "And coals cook faster and better than flames. Metal coat hangers or metal rods cook marshmallows faster than sticks and are more likely to deliver gooey centers. But roasting marshmallows can be unpredictable. Anyway, precision isn't really part of the fun.''

Hmmm, that said, I hoisted my marshmallow over the coals. Off to the side, a graham cracker topped with chocolate heated on the grate. I rotated the bent hanger, slow-motion rotisserie style. The sugary treat turned a very pale not-quite-caramel color. The exterior looked like it would have a subtly crisp texture. I thought it needed a little more cooking when she bent over the barbecue and gave it a couple of gentle "test'' pinches between thumb and forefinger. She smiled and said it was perfectly squishy inside.

Using a spatula, she removed the heated graham cracker topped with chocolate and put it on a plate. She used the edge of a second graham cracker to push the gooey marshmallow off the hanger and onto the chocolate. Pressing that top graham cracker into place, some chocolate oozed onto the plate.

She pointed out how nicely the chocolate had melted. Then she warned me not to believe the hot-marshmallows-melt-chocolate myth.

"It's not the heat of the marshmallow that melts the chocolate … yes, it creates warmth between it and the hard chocolate, but that's about it,'' she said. "And the meltiness of a s'more is very important.''

So if you're using a barbecue, she suggests heating a chocolate-covered graham cracker on the grate to melt the chocolate. If you want, you can add the uncooked marshmallow too (instead of roasting it separately) and cover the barbecue with the lid to ensure a good melt. Using this technique, the marshmallow doesn't brown, but melts beautifully.

Campfire cooking

If you have a campfire with soaring flames, she suggests using a non-fancy frying pan because the bottom of the pan will scorch.

"Put the chocolate-laden graham cracker into the pan and put the pan on the grate,'' she says. "When melted properly, take the pan off the grate and slide the graham onto a plate.''

If it's nighttime, she says, do the slide-off-the-skillet part at a "decently lit table'' to keep the just-melted treat from "sliding into the night.''

Add remaining ingredients, including a roasted marshmallow, and you're in business. Or, if you prefer, you can melt the whole shebang enclosed in aluminum foil packets. Or, for those true adventurers, she says you can "knife a few gashes into the sides of your uncooked marshmallow and force small pieces of chocolate or chocolate chip inside'' each newly made cavern.

Once the marshmallow is cooked, sandwich it between graham crackers. But this approach carries a greater risk - if your marshmallow succumbs to the flames, you will lose both your marshmallow and your chocolate.

Gas stovetop

Adams says you can roast a marshmallow by the flame on one burner, on a skewer or long-handled fork, while you melt chocolate (and other ingredients) atop the bottom graham cracker in a skillet on another burner.

"I use low heat for melting ingredients, and medium to medium-low heat for marshmallow roasting but every stove is different so adjust your settings as needed,'' she wrote in her book.

Microwave

The marshmallows won't have a toasty taste or texture using this method. But they will be puffy-soft, and Adams says that they are just fine for a fast treat.

"Microwave (the whole

s'more placed on a microwave-safe plate) just 7 to 10 seconds,'' she said. "More time and you get a rubbery marshmallow.''

Oven-baked

Adams says this is a great approach to use when making s'mores for a crowd. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper; place assembled s'mores (without the top graham cracker) and pop them into the middle of a preheated 350-degree oven for 4 to 6 minutes. The marshmallows will puff up and melt over the chocolate.

Whichever technique you use, it is best to let s'mores cool a minute or two before serving. Those babies can be hotsy totsy.

Here are some of Adams' recipes; note that although the heating of the chocolate-topped graham cracker and the roasting of the marshmallow are in different steps, for best results do the two things at the same time (teamwork works best):

Simple Mint S'more

Yield: 1 serving

3 to 4 chocolate mints such as Andes Mints

½ graham cracker

1 marshmallow

1 crispy mint cookie such as Mint Oreo or Mint Brussels or Thin Mint

Unwrap mints and melt them on a graham cracker, using a stovetop, oven, barbecue, microwave or campfire (see story for techniques).

Roast marshmallow. Remove graham cracker topped with chocolate mints from heat source and add marshmallow. Top with mint cookie.

Per serving: Calories 170 (53 percent from fat), protein 2.1 g, carbohydrates 17 g, fat 10 g (saturated 6 g), cholesterol 15 mg, sodium 40 mg, fiber 0.5 g

Source: Adapted from

"S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion'' by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95)

Banana Caramel S'more

Yield: 1 serving

2 to 3 Hershey's Caramel Kisses, unwrapped

1 graham cracker, broken in half

1 marshmallow

4 banana slices

Arrange kisses on half of the graham cracker and melt, using a stovetop, oven, barbecue, microwave or campfire (see story for techniques). The chocolate is properly melted when it begins to become soft and wet-looking. Take care that you do not over-melt the chocolate, as the caramel filling can escape and spill.

Roast marshmallow. Once chocolate is melted, remove graham cracker from heat source and add sliced bananas, pressing them into the chocolate carefully. Add roasted marshmallow and top with remaining graham cracker.

Per serving: Calories 179 (55 percent from fat), protein 2 g, carbohydrates 17 g, fat 11 g (saturated 6.3 g), cholesterol 18 mg, sodium 55 mg, fiber 1.0 g

Source: Adapted from

"S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion'' by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95)

Fruit Flavor Burst S'more

Yield:1

• Milk chocolate

1 graham cracker, broken in half

1 marshmallow

1 slice strawberry, peach or mango, about ½- to 1-inch thick

Arrange chocolate on half of the graham cracker and melt, using a stovetop, oven, barbecue, microwave or campfire (see story for techniques).

Roast marshmallow.

Once chocolate has melted, remove from heat and layer with fruit and roasted marshmallow. Top with remaining graham cracker.

Per serving: Calories 144 (50 percent from fat), protein 2 g, carbohydrates 18 g, fat 8 g (saturated 4 g), cholesterol 12 mg, sodium 70 mg, fiber 1.2 g

Source: Adapted from

"S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion'' by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95)

Rocky Road S'more

Yield: 1

• Milk chocolate with almonds; see cook's notes

1 graham cracker, broken in half

1 marshmallow

Cook's notes: If you're out of nutty chocolate, top plain milk chocolate with slices of almonds.

Arrange chocolate on half of graham cracker and melt, using a stovetop, oven, barbecue, microwave or campfire (see story for techniques).

Roast marshmallow.

Once chocolate has melted, remove graham cracker from heat and top with roasted marshmallow and remaining graham cracker.

Per serving: Calories 182

(59 percent from fat), protein 2.6 g, carbohydrates 17.2 g, fat 11.6 g (saturated 7.1 g), cholesterol 18 mg, sodium 45 mg, fiber 1.0 g

Source: "S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion'' by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95)

All-Star S'more Alternatives

Culinary stars, cookbook authors and chefs have taken the s'mores theme of chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows and made totally different types of desserts. Food Network star Paula Dean augments the traditional ingredients with a grill-warmed dessert that includes bananas and chocolate chip cookies. Fellow celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse featured a Triple Chocolate S'more Cake on one of his TV shows. The bakers at King Arthur Flour make S'mores Granola Bars that are sturdy enough to survive all day at the bottom of a backpack!

Deen makes these cookie s'mores. After she stuffs the cookies with s'more-esque components, she wraps them in foil and grills them until heated. The recipe is from a Food Network Special,

All-Star Grillfest.

Paula Deen's Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores

Yield: 5 servings

• Canola oil

3 bananas

10 store-bought chocolate chip cookies (the larger the better)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup small marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with canola oil.

Cut the bananas in half, lengthwise and grill, skin side down just until warm. Remove warmed banana from the skin and cut again in half.

On a piece of aluminum foil, place 1 cookie. Top evenly with banana slices, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs and top with another cookie. Wrap foil around the sandwich and place on the grill until warmed through and melted.

Source: foodtv.com

Triple Chocolate S'more Pie

Emeril Lagasse and a winner of his show's chocolate contest, Sarah Benner, make a Triple Chocolate S'more Pie. Here's the recipe:

Yield: 8 servings

1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1½ cups sweetened condensed milk

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups miniature marshmallows

For crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray inside of 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. In bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into sprayed pie pan, covering bottom and sides. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For filling: In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk chocolate chips, ½ cup condensed milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Microwave for 2 minutes on medium (50 percent) power. Alternately, combine all ingredients and melt in a double boiler. Stir until all chips are melted and pour into bottom of cooled crust. Set in refrigerator while preparing second layer.

For second layer, repeat above process using the vanilla chips. Pour over milk chocolate layer. Set in refrigerator while preparing third layer. For third layer repeat above process using the dark chocolate chips. Pour over white chocolate layer.

Preheat broiler. Evenly cover top with miniature marshmallows. Place under broiler for a few minutes just until marshmallows are lightly browned. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Source: foodtv.com

S'more Granola Bars

Yield: 48 bars

• Butter for greasing pans

4 cups (14 ounces) rolled oats

4 cups (4½ ounces) Rice Krispies cereal

¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup water

½ cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups (6 ounces) miniature marshmallows; divided use

1½ cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan or two 9-by-13-inch pans.

Place oats on prepared pan(s). Bake 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. They won't brown, but should begin to smell toasty.

Remove from oven. Transfer oats to bowl and add cereal.

In large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt. Bring to boil; boil 5 minutes or until temperature reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove syrup from heat and pour over oats and cereal, tossing to combine. Add 1½ cups marshmallows and stir again until well combined.

Place mixture on prepared pan(s), patting it flat and pressing it down. Sprinkle with remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Bake 4 to 5 minutes, until marshmallows have puffed and are slightly brown. Remove bars from oven and cool about 10 minutes on rack. Cut into squares while still warm.

Source: "The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion'' (Countryman Press, $29.95)