RECIPES:

Grilled Pizza

Ultimate Homemade S’mores

When I was a girl, my summer vacation didn’t start until the very last week of June. We would spend those final days in a muggy classroom, legs sticking to our chairs, fanning ourselves with accordion-folded paper salvaged from the recycling bin. We never had any work left to do, so the teachers were just as bored as we were, watching the minutes drag by until we fulfilled our 180-day requirement for the year. A few times my elementary school principal set up a projector in the cafeteria so we could watch Charlie Chaplin movies and The Three Stooges in an endless stream.

But then, just at the moment when we might have lost the will to live, the bell would ring, and summer vacation would begin. Within moments of exiting the school, I would start to panic. I would be walking right back through those doors before I knew it if I didn’t make the most of every summer moment. That last day of school wasn’t time to go home and be bored, or watch TV—it was time to party.

To kick off my kids’ summer vacation, they invited a few of their friends to our Backyard Pizza Party, knowing summer has a way of sweeping classmates away—returning them only when school begins again. When the guests arrived, my son showed the kids how to get their pizzas ready for grilling, and my daughter directed a treasure hunt for a small chest containing fixings for s’mores. While they searched for the treasure, we listened to Ralph Vaughan Williams’s English Folk Song Suite to get them into a swashbuckling mood. Although our book inspiration was Treasure Island, we didn’t do much reading for the party. We were on vacation, after all.

get creative:

Plan a treasure hunt. Fill a wooden trunk with everything the kids will need to make the Ultimate Homemade S’mores: a jar of Milk Chocolate Truffle Sauce, Honey Flavored Marshmallows, and Homemade Graham Crackers. Have a child design the map and hide the treasure. When the treasure is found, start up the fire and make the s’mores.

This party is for grasping those first few moments of summer before they slip away too quickly. Yours does not need to be as elaborate as ours, especially when you invite a group of friends. Depending on the amount of time and resources you have, you can fire up the grill and make homemade marshmallows for roasting, as we did. For a quicker approach, you can simply order pizza and roast store-bought marshmallows.

music to set the scene:

English Folk Song Suite, by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Soundtrack from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, by Klaus Badelt

Soundtrack from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, by Hans Zimmer

Grilled Pizza

This is a great way to enjoy homemade pizza when it’s too hot to cook in the house. Makes 8 personal pizzas

31⁄2 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

11⁄4 cups warm water (110ºF), plus more if needed

1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted

2 cloves garlic, finely grated or pressed through a garlic press

Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Assorted toppings, such as mozzarella cheese, basil, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, yeast, olive oil, and salt. Slowly pour in the water. If dough appears to be dry, add more water—up to 2 tablespoons—to make a stiff but workable dough. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a kitchen towel, and let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
2. Preheat the grill. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece, and place on a floured piece of parchment paper laid on a baking sheet.
3. Mix melted butter and garlic, and brush each piece of dough with the mixture. Place on the grill, butter side down, and cook until the top starts to bubble and grill marks appear on the bottom. Return crusts to the floured piece of parchment paper, brush the uncooked side with more of the garlic butter, and turn over so the grill markings face up.
4. Use a large spoon or ladle to spread tomato sauce on the crusts, then arrange desired toppings on top. Return to the grill, cover the grill, and cook until cheese is melted and toppings are cooked. Cooking time will vary with each grill.

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 (28-ounce) can diced or whole tomatoes

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
2. Place tomatoes in a blender and pulse a few times to make a puree. Pour into the skillet, reduce to medium-low heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ultimate Homemade S’mores

What kid isn’t happy with s’mores, whether made with store-bought ingredients or otherwise? But if you go the extra mile, and make these Ultimate S’mores, you’ll be everyone’s favorite person, I promise. Makes 10

Homemade Graham Crackers (recipe follows)

Honey-Flavored Marshmallows (recipe follows)

Chocolate Truffle Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Spread Chocolate Truffle Sauce on a Homemade Graham Cracker. Spear a marshmallow with a stick if roasting in an open fire,* or a skewer if roasting over a hot stove burner. Turn slowly, about 1-3 inches away from the flame. Roast until golden brown.
2. Place the marshmallow on top of the Truffle Sauce, place another Graham Cracker over the roasted marshmallow. Gently squeeze the two crackers together and slide out the stick or skewer. Enjoy immediately. Repeat with remaining crackers and marshmallows.

*Always use the greatest care when cooking over an open flame. Adult supervision is imperative.

books to inspire:

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

Homemade Graham Crackers

For years I searched for a good homemade graham cracker recipe to go with my homemade marshmallows. Getting ideas from both Martha Stewart and bloggers on the Web, I came up with this one. These graham crackers are a little sturdier than your average store-bought variety, and tastier—perfect for out-of-this-world s’mores. Makes about 20 crackers

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (available at health food stores)

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add honey and molasses, and mix until well incorporated. Beat in milk and vanilla.
3. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, and mix until dough becomes well incorporated. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board, and knead a few times to ensure good distribution of ingredients. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or on a well-floured board until it is 1⁄8 inch thick. With the plastic still on, transfer rolled-out dough to baking sheets, and place in freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking pad such as a Silpat, or with a piece of parchment paper.
6. Peel back the plastic, and with a pizza cutter or a fluted pastry wheel, cut dough into 3-inch squares. Place squares 1⁄2 inch apart on the baking sheet. Use the blunt edge of a skewer to dot dough with holes. (If at any time the dough gets too soft to work with, place on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for a few minutes.) Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until edges just barely start to brown. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. These will keep, uncovered, for 2 days.

Honey-Flavored Marshmallows

These have a hint of honey flavor and are wonderful toasted or plain. Making marshmallows is a sticky, messy process, but everything will wash off easily with water once you’re done. Makes 16 huge marshmallows

2 cups powdered sugar

4 packages unflavored gelatin

11⁄4 cups cool water

3 cups granulated cane sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 cup honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Dust the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch square pan with 1 cup powdered sugar; reserve the rest for later. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, dissolve the gelatin in 3⁄4 cup water.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1⁄2 cup water, granulated sugar, salt, and honey. Set over medium heat, and stir frequently until the mixture starts to boil. Once it begins to boil, stop stirring and wait for the temperature to reach 238ºF (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, watch the syrup carefully. At first, the bubbles will come very high up the sides of the pan. As the temperature of the syrup rises, the bubbles will start to relax. Once they do, check the candy by spooning out a small amount of the syrup and dropping it into cool water. If you can hold the syrup in your hands and shape it into a soft blob, then it’s ready.
3. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the honey syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Raise the speed to medium, and then to high. Add the vanilla, and whisk for 5–7 minutes, or until thick, foamy, and white. Pour into the prepared pan with the help of a silicone spatula. If the mixture is unwieldy, use wet fingers to smooth it down. Sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar, and allow to dry overnight.
4. Use a wet knife to separate the marshmallow from the edges of the pan. Pull out the marshmallow, and use kitchen shears or a wet knife to cut into squares. Roll each square in the last 1⁄2 cup of powdered sugar, and tap off the excess.

Chocolate Truffle Sauce

This milk chocolate sauce is perfect for spreading on graham crackers for gourmet s’mores. This is a bit thicker than the Two-Minute Ganache (page 162), but either recipe could be used. Makes 2 cups

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

11⁄2 cups good-quality milk chocolate chips (I use the Guittard brand)

1⁄2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat cream on high until boiling, about 1 minute. Pour in vanilla and chocolate chips, and allow to sit for 2 minutes.
2. Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth. If any chocolate remains unmelted, microwave mixture on high for 20 seconds at a time, whisking well after each interval, until smooth and melted. Pour into jars and refrigerate, if desired.

variations on a theme:

Instead of a pizza party, make it an ice cream sundae party. Provide the ice cream and cones, and ask each guest to bring his or her favorite topping.