No campfire is complete without a batch of s’mores, the gooey treats are as enjoyable to make as they are to eat. A classic s’more is simply a graham cracker topped with a square of dark chocolate and a toasted marshmallow, sandwiched with a second cracker and squeezed so that the melty marshmallow oozes slightly out the sides. But there’s no reason you should be restricted to grocery store ingredients—nor even a campfire!
To make your s’mores a bit more upscale and uniquely Alberta, try roasting handmade marshmallows from The Little Mallow Company, bars of Cochu (Calgary) or Jacek (Edmonton) chocolate, and make your own digestive cookies with barley or oat flour.
Oven-y Goodness
If you don’t have a campfire going, you can make any quantity of s’mores in the oven by placing cookies or graham crackers on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, topping each with a large marshmallow and running under the broiler for a few minutes, until puffed and deep golden. Add a square of chocolate and a second cookie or cracker on top and gently press to squish the marshmallow just a bit.
Alberta Barley Digestive Cookie Recipe
Barley is one of Alberta’s main crops, and the high-fibre flour makes a wonderfully nutty, nubbly homemade digestive biscuit. In other words: perfect for s’mores!
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup barley or oat flour
- 1/2 cup oat bran or wheat germ
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
- 1/4-1/3 cup milk
In a food processor bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, barley flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and pulse to combine to sandy crumbs. Add the milk and pulse until the dough just comes together. Shape into a disk, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/8-inch thick. Then cut into 2-3 inch rounds with a cookie cutter or glass rim. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, poke each cookie once or twice with a fork and bake for 15-17 minutes, until pale golden around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Chocolate coating (Optional):
- 100 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
To make the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate and coconut oil or butter in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spoon some chocolate over each cooled cookie and spread it over the surface with the back of your spoon. Let sit until the chocolate sets.
Some More S’mores Tips
•You can swap graham crackers for Digestive biscuits, HobNobs, stroopwafel or other large, sturdy packaged cookies. After all, it’s your sandwich made of sweets.
•If you’re tired of the same old traditional square of chocolate, think about using one of the endless other varieties. For example, a peanut butter cup or a few squares of Caramilk could really add an extra flavour to your s’more.
•Here’s an option if you’re feeling lazy or just having an off day. Spread half your cookies or graham crackers with marshmallow fluff, and the other half with Nutella. Stick it in the microwave for a few seconds and voilà!
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