S'mores

Not just for camp fires anymore.  These cookies are amazing and everyone loves them.  I've actually had to make 3 batches in the past few months--1 for a party, one for birthday gifts for my nephew and a friend's son, and these for the holiday gifts.  Over the summer my nephew was quite disappointed when we couldn't find a way to make S'mores at a family picnic.  We thought we'd get a fire pit, but it turns out we didn't have one.  So I promised him I'd turn all the ingredients into cookies.  And when I promise a kid cookies, I don't come up empty-handed.

I found the recipe at Cookie Madness a while back.  I first baked them exactly as the recipe stated, but was a little disappointed in the end result.  The original recipe states to use mini marshmallows and break up bits of chocolate, using them as a topping for the cookie near the end of the baking time.  This wasn't enough of a solid S'more flavor for me--I wanted chocolate and marshmallow goodness in every bite.  So I adapted it slightly by using the large marshmallows, cut in half, and a full piece of the Hershey bar (the part you get when you break it up into 12 mini bars).  I stacked them up and not only do they look like adorable campfire S'mores, they taste great with a hit of gooey marshmallow in each bite.  The graham cracker in the cookie dough really brings the whole thing together.

S'mores

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup graham crackers, crushed fine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

2 1/2 dozen jet puff marshmallows, cut in half
5 Hershey bars, broken into mini bars

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until combined.  

To get 1 cup of crushed graham crackers, you'll only need one of the three sleeves that come in a box.

Crush graham crackers by pulsing in a food processor until you have a fine consistency.  

Not sure how to get those crumbs out?  Dump the bowl of your food processor on a flexible cutting mat. Then bend the mat and use it as a funnel to pour the crumbs into a jar or other container.

 

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, graham crackers, salt and baking soda.  Add to the butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 minutes.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.   

While cookies are baking, break up Hershey bars into 12 mini bars each and cut marshmallows in half using a sharp knife. 

Remove from oven.  Push 1 marshmallow half onto each cookie.  

Pre-marshmallow baking

Return to oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked and light brown.  Remove from oven and immediately top with mini Hershey bar.  

Post-marshmallow baking. They really are different--
the marshmallows are a little puffier and gooey now.

Cool on pan for a few minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

For storage, you'll want to be sure the cookies cool completely.   I suggest putting one layer of cookies in your container and popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then place a piece of wax paper on top and repeat layers.

You'll probably want to have a few extra marshmallows and an extra Hershey bar on hand in case your dough yields a few extra cookies.  Eat any leftovers.

Makes 5 dozen.

Happy Baking,

The Cookie Princess