S’MORES BAR

Some of my favorite things about being a kid were the campfires my family built on cool autumn evenings and getting to toast fluffy marshmallows on sticks found in the yard until their snow-white skins turned golden brown and their insides were gooey. We would sandwich them with chocolate bars between graham crackers and devour the fire-kissed treats, always asking for “s’more.”

Turns out the likability of s’mores extends far beyond childhood. I’ve never met an adult who can resist the goodness of a warm marshmallow-chocolate-cookie sandwich.

At your next dinner party or barbecue, in lieu of a traditional dessert, surprise guests with a s’mores bar. Yes, make sure to have on hand the classic combination of marshmallows, milk chocolate, and graham crackers for the traditionalists, but for your more adventurous friends, put out ingredients encouraging creativity, like cookies, English chocolate biscuits, candy bars, caramel, chocolate-hazelnut spread, peanut butter, bananas, and peanut butter cups.

You’ll need a campfire or grill and some sticks for roasting the marshmallows. Provide guests with containers (like these adorable berry boxes) to take their selections to the bonfire and use as to-go containers later in the evening. Your guests will swoon over their creations and will forever talk about that evening of ooey-gooey, sticky-hands, chocolate-on-your-face fun!