Because crispy rice treats are pretty much 50 percent marshmallow, this is literally serving marshmallow on top of marshmallow. How could you go wrong? Makes 12 
Takes 30 minutes
6 cups crispy rice cereal
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
52 regular marshmallows
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Place a large rectangle of parchment paper on the work surface. Pour the cereal into a large mixing bowl.
2 Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 40 of the marshmallows and stir constantly until they melt, 3 to 5 minutes.
3 Pour the melted marshmallows into the bowl with the cereal and mix well. Spoon the cereal mixture onto the parchment and flatten it with a spatula. Top with another piece of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll out the treats to ¾-inch thickness. Remove the top piece of parchment and slice the treats into 24 two-inch squares.
4 Transfer 12 squares to a serving dish. Top each square with 2 chocolate pips.
5 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
6 Place the remaining 12 marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
7 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining cereal squares. Serve immediately.
Crispy phyllo dough makes a light and balanced replacement for the graham crackers in this s’more. Honey, pistachio butter, and mini chocolate chips really make it taste like baklava! Makes 12 
Takes 30 minutes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
12 whole sheets phyllo dough
2 cups shelled, roasted, and salted pistachios
½ cup honey
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon peanut oil
Nonstick cooking spray
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a rack in the middle position.
2 Brush a baking sheet with a little bit of the melted butter and place a single sheet of phyllo dough on it. Brush the dough evenly with a little more butter. Repeat until all 12 sheets are stacked and brushed with butter. Using a pizza cutter, gently cut the phyllo stack into 24 two-and-a-half–inch squares—roughly the size of graham cracker squares. Bake the phyllo until crispy, about 12 minutes. Separate the phyllo squares so they aren’t touching each other and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
3 Place the pistachios into a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds to break them up a bit. Add the honey, a pinch of salt, and the peanut oil. Process until the mixture forms a paste, about 1 minute, pausing to scrape down the sides, if needed.
4 Using oven mitts, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
5 Place 12 phyllo squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 1 tablespoon of pistachio paste and 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
6 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining phyllo squares. Serve immediately.
The Various Personalities of
MARSHMALLOW ROASTERS
The Torch Bearer is a controversial figure. This person sticks their marshmallow straight into the fire until it catches, then blows it out. This method is repeated until the desired level of char is achieved.
Using a whole sweet potato instead of a sweet potato pie filling here might be controversial, but I think a sweet potato pie should still taste a little like the vegetable! On top of that, the sweet potato and marshmallow are obviously great friends because of the Thanksgiving side dish we all know and love (most of us, anyway!). Here, the sweet potato is coated with sugar and cinnamon and baked to create a caramelized crust. If the sugary tuber is too healthy for you, take the extra mile to grandma’s house and use the Sweet Potato Filling instead.
Makes 9 
Takes 40 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 store-bought refrigerated piecrusts
1½ bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
9 regular marshmallows
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3 Choose the 9 best sweet potato rounds (store the remaining rounds for another use) and brush them with the melted butter. Toss them in the sugar mixture to coat. Place the coated sweet potatoes on one of the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with any remaining sugar.
4 Bake the sweet potatoes, flipping halfway through the baking time, until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on.
5 While the sweet potatoes bake, remove the piecrusts from their packaging and roll them out so they are slightly thinner. Cut each crust into 9 graham cracker–size (2½-inch) squares and place the squares on the remaining prepared baking sheet. Bake the piecrust squares until crispy, about 15 minutes. Transfer 9 baked piecrust squares to a wire rack. Place the baking sheet with the remaining 9 squares on a heat-proof surface.
6 Using oven mitts, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes.
7 Top each piecrust square on the baking sheet with 2 chocolate pips and 1 sweet potato round. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each sweet potato round. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
8 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining piecrust squares. Serve immediately.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 or 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed (about 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes)
Pinch of kosher salt
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with butter. Line it with parchment paper and grease the paper with butter, too.
2 Beat the butter and sugars together in a medium bowl until lightened in color and well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until combined, 2 minutes.
3 Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl and stir well to combine. Season with a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4 Bake until the pie filling is firm in the center, about 45 minutes. Let it cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours.
5 Cut the cooled pie filling into 2-inch squares and use the squares in place of the sweet potato rounds in Step 7 of the Sweet Potato Pie S’mores recipe.
AS SWEET AS APPLE, ER, S’MORES
Instead of making these pie s’mores from scratch, take a cue from the holiday dinner table. Cut a small square out of leftover pumpkin pie and use it instead of the sweet potato round. But don’t stop there! Many other types of pie can be used in this way. Here is a list for inspiration:
Apple
Banana Cream
Blueberry
Buttermilk
Cherry
Chess
Chiffon
Coconut Cream
Custard
Mississippi Mud
Peanut Butter
Pecan
Rhubarb
Shoofly
If you want to get crazy, go savory with adaptations inspired by Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, or Thanksgiving Dinner Pie (turkey and cranberries!). Just use scoops of fluffy white potatoes as marshmallows, and drizzle with gravy or pan juices over piecrust squares or buttery crackers and fillings of your choice.
Lemon meringue pie is such a classic dessert, and I love any dessert that is just as tart as it is sweet. Meringue is practically a marshmallow, so this pie is easy to adapt into a s’more. Try it with the alternative filling to make Key Lime Pie s’mores instead! Any leftover curd will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Seal it well and line it with plastic wrap touching the surface of the curd. Makes 12 
Takes 4 hours
For the lemon curd
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Pinch of kosher salt
For the s’mores
Nonstick cooking spray
12 regular marshmallows
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
1 Place the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk together. Add the butter and salt and continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
2 Pour the lemon curd into a medium bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate until the curd has firmed up, at least 4 hours.
3 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
5 Place 12 graham cracker squares on a serving dish. Top each square with 1 tablespoon of lemon curd, 1 toasted marshmallow, and another graham cracker square. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using, and serve immediately.
Key Lime Filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons Key lime zest
3 large egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup freshly squeezed Key lime juice
Pinch of kosher salt
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with butter. Line it with parchment paper and grease the paper with butter, too.
2 Combine the lime zest and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture lightens in color and is well combined, 2 minutes.
3 Add the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Whisk well to combine. Season with a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4 Bake until the Key lime filling is set, 15 minutes. Let it cool on the counter for 30 minutes and then refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours.
5 Cut the cooled filling into 2-inch squares and use the squares in place of the lemon curd in Step 5 of the Lemon Meringue S’mores recipe.
There are a lot of s’mores recipes out there that use an actual churro instead of the graham cracker. As amazing as that may be, I wanted my version to stay true to the s’more stack. Coating the graham crackers in a cinnamon-sugar mixture evokes enough churro flavor without all the effort. However, if you are a churros fanatic and really want to make them from scratch, a recipe for churro rounds follows!
Makes 12 
Takes 15 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
3 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2 Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl and set aside.
3 One at a time, brush a very thin coating of melted butter on both sides of a graham cracker square. Immediately dip the cracker into the sugar mixture to coat and set aside on a work surface. Repeat with the remaining graham crackers.
4 Place 12 coated graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 3 chocolate pips. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
5 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
Homemade Churros
4 cups canola oil or peanut oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Heat the oil to 350°F in a fryer, or a large heavy-bottom pot, with a candy thermometer attached (do not let it touch the bottom). Place a wire rack over a drip pan or line a plate with paper towels to soak up any excess frying oil from the finished churros.
2 Place the butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the water. Bring everything to a simmer.
3 Remove the mixture from the heat and add the flour. Stir well to combine until the dough forms a ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan as you stir.
4 Add the egg to the mixture and stir to combine.
5 Meanwhile, pour the cinnamon and the remaining ½ cup of sugar onto a large plate and stir with a fork to combine.
6 Transfer half the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip (such as a Wilton 1M).
7 Dip a slotted spoon into the hot oil to coat it. Pipe a 1½-inch spiral of churro dough onto the spoon and gently drop it into the hot oil. Fry until lightly golden brown, 2 minutes.
8 Using the slotted spoon, transfer the churro to the prepared rack. Let cool for 1 minute before dredging in the cinnamon sugar. Continue with the remaining dough and cinnamon sugar. Enjoy the finished churros as desired—as is, with coffee, or sandwiched for a s’more.
Tiramisu was the first dessert I ever ate at a restaurant. Something about ordering it as a kid when you’re going out to eat on your own makes you feel so fancy. Ladyfingers are available at every grocery store and exist (in my opinion) solely to make tiramisu. Here, though, I give them a starring role, instead of just letting them be soggy in the center. Any leftover mascarpone filling will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Makes 12 Takes 30 minutes
12 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
2 individual packets instant coffee granules, equivalent to 2 cups brewed (I use Starbucks Via packets.)
Nonstick cooking spray
48 ladyfinger cookies
12 regular marshmallows
Cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
1 Stir together the mascarpone, sugar, and coffee granules in a medium bowl, until well combined. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3 Place the ladyfingers in groups of 2 on a serving dish. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mascarpone mixture on the seam between each pair of ladyfingers to fuse them together. Let sit for 5 minutes while you toast the marshmallows.
4 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
5 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining ladyfinger pairs and dust with cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.
I make pancakes at home a lot. This was a last-minute s’more—I was planning to try out a bunch of s’mores ideas that day and had made pancakes for breakfast. Lucky for me, magic happened. The pancakes work perfectly as s’mores crackers because they are nice and soft and you end up not spilling out as much marshmallow as you can with graham crackers. On top of that, the little drizzle of maple syrup really pulls everything together. Bacon is optional, but it gives these s’mores the crunchy element you are missing when using fluffy pancakes instead of graham crackers. Makes 12 
Takes 30 minutes
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablepoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1¼ cups whole milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the frying pan
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
Nonstick cooking spray
12 regular marshmallows
6 bacon slices, cooked until crispy and broken into quarters (optional)
½ cup Grade A medium amber maple syrup
1 Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vinegar.
2 Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined.
3 Melt a pat of butter in a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat.
4 Working in batches, place 2-tablespoon scoops of pancake batter in the pan to form 2-inch-diameter pancakes. Cook until bubbles pop on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue cooking the remaining batter with more butter, in batches, to make 24 mini pancakes.
5 Place 12 pancakes on a serving dish. Top each pancake with 2 chocolate pips.
6 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
7 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
8 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more, followed by 2 pieces of bacon, if using. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of maple syrup over each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining pancakes. Serve immediately.
A NEW KIND OF BREAKFAST STACK
You’ve heard of breakfast for dinner . . . but have you heard of s’mores for breakfast? If not, it’s time to add this concept to your repertoire. Because so many morning meals are just an excuse to serve up some sugar, why not create a whole spread with s’mores riffs to inspire innovative stacks of breakfast foods? Serve this bountiful breakfast buffet with orange juice, coffee, and hot chocolate with marshmallows (plus a graham cracker stick stirrer for extra charm), of course.
Here are a few s’mores breakfast components to mix and match (bonus points for extra-crazy combinations):
Crunchy: toasted English muffins, baked oatmeal cut into squares, mini waffles, biscuits, hash brown squares, toast, granola bars, graham crackers, crispy bacon strips
Gooey: poached eggs, yogurt, marshmallows (especially the spreadable version!), avocado, cottage cheese, bananas, peanut or other nut butters, cream cheese
Melty: hollandaise, pesto, fruit jams and jellies, Nutella, hot honey, cheese, spicy tomato sauce
Rocky road ice cream is pretty much just s’mores ingredients with almonds added, so it would be wrong not to include a rocky road s’more in a roundup of s’mores riffs. I experimented with chocolate-covered almonds, almond candy bark, and a few other variations (hard work, but someone had to do it), and liked the results best when just topping the chocolate with roasted almonds. If you’d prefer less crunch from the almonds, chop or crush them before topping the s’mores in Step 3. Makes 12 
Takes 10 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
3 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
84 roasted, lightly salted almonds
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Place 12 graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 3 chocolate pips. Broil just to soften the chocolate slightly, about 30 seconds.
3 Remove from the broiler and top each s’more with 7 roasted almonds. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
4 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
A tart cheesecake flavor really goes well with s’mores, and most cheesecakes use a graham cracker crust, so the combination is familiar. I adapted a recipe for a no-bake cheesecake dip to make the filling in these s’mores.
Makes 12 
Takes 20 minutes
1 cup cream cheese (from a tub, not a brick)
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray
12 regular marshmallows
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
1 Mix the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed.
2 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
4 Place 12 graham cracker squares on a serving dish. Top each square with 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheesecake mixture, followed by 1 tablespoon of the mini chocolate chips.
5 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
I have a philosophy when I am mashing up recipes—if the names of the two dishes can seamlessly be combined, you know you are heading in the right direction. These S’moreos are the perfect example. Makes 12 Takes 10 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
24 crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Place 12 sandwich cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Top each cookie with 2 chocolate pips. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
3 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining cookies. Serve immediately.
More Sweet and Savory Substitutions for Graham Crackers
Biscuits
Brioche
Chocolate chip cookies
Cornbread
Cream puffs or eclairs, halved lengthwise
Croissants
Dense cake slices
Egg matzo
Fudge Stripes
Milano cookies
Naan
Nutter Butters
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Peanut butter cookies
Ritz crackers
Shortbread cookies
Snickerdoodles
Spiced molasses cookies
Sticky buns
Sugar cookies
Sugar wafers
Thin brownies
Vanilla wafers
Wheat Thins
I have my grandmother’s pizzelle maker, and her recipe for these delicate anise-flavored vanilla cookies is written in permanent marker right on the side of the box. It’s great because I never need to go searching for a pizzelle recipe—I just take out the machine and go. If you are similarly blessed with an heirloom pizzelle iron, you must try this recipe ASAP. Pizzelles are a great graham cracker replacement, and if you squeeze these s’mores tightly closed, you can almost serve them as cookies. If you don’t have the requisite equipment, I urge you to consider making room for it in your home and your heart. In a pinch, though, you should be able to find suitable pizzelles in the cookie or bakery aisle of your grocery store. Makes 12 Takes 40 minutes
For the pizzelles
1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray
For the s’mores filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
Pinch of kosher salt
12 regular marshmallows
1 Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2 Crack the eggs into another large bowl and add the melted butter, anise extract, and vanilla, whisking to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir well to combine.
3 Preheat the pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions and grease it with cooking spray.
4 While the iron preheats, make the ganache. Combine the chocolate chips, cream, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is just melted and the mixture is combined. Be careful not to overheat the ganache, as it can become grainy. Set aside.
5 When the iron is hot, scoop 2 teaspoons of batter into the middle of each space (or slightly toward the hinge) on your iron. Close the iron and cook for about 30 seconds, depending on how hot your iron gets. Use a thin spatula to transfer the pizzelles to a wire rack or work surface. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have 24 pizzelles.
6 Spread about 2 teaspoons of ganache on one side of each pizzelle.
7 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
8 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
9 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining pizzelles, pressing down to flatten the s’mores a bit. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.
When you think of cannoli, you might imagine a cylindrical flute of crunchy goodness with a creamy ricotta interior. Well, it’s time to rethink that shape! Enter the cannoli stack. Making a square cannoli shell is not nearly as hard as making a tube. Any leftover ricotta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Makes 12 
Takes 30 minutes
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tablespoons cold shortening (put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before you need to use it)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup canola oil or peanut oil
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Nonstick cooking spray
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place the flour and shortening in a medium bowl. Using a fork, cut the shortening into the flour until you see pea-size pieces of shortening. Stir in the granulated sugar. One tablespoon at a time, stir in the wine until the dough comes together. Mix well. The dough should be very thick, like pasta dough.
2 Dust a clean work surface with flour and transfer the dough to it. Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it’s very thin, about ⅛ inch thick and roughly 10 by 15 inches. Cut the dough into 24 graham cracker–size (2½-inch) squares.
3 Heat about ½ inch of the oil to 375°F in a deep skillet or 12-inch pot over medium-high heat with a candy thermometer attached (do not let it touch the bottom). Place a wire rack over a drip pan or line a plate with paper towels. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, test the oil by adding a scrap of the dough to the oil. If it bubbles up immediately, the oil is ready.
4 Working in batches if needed, carefully add the cannoli squares to the hot oil. Fry until the dough bubbles up and becomes crispy, about 20 seconds per side. Use tongs to remove the cannoli squares from the oil and transfer them to the prepared rack or plate to drain.
5 Place the ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon into a medium bowl and stir until combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed.
6 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
7 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
8 Transfer 12 cannoli squares to a serving dish. Top each square with 1 heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips.
9 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining cannoli squares. Serve immediately.
The Various Personalities of
MARSHMALLOW ROASTERS
The Multi-Tasker usually has a stick in each hand and several marshmallows on each stick. They are making a few for themselves because they want one s’more and at least one marshmallow on its own (they love that “pure” taste). These overachievers are also toasting some for a few people they offered to help.
The number one rule on the internet (and in life) is tiny things are always cuter than their normal-size counterparts. These baby s’mores are no exception. They are easier to make than you would expect and are extremely poppable. For added fun, you feel like a giant while you eat them. If you’re a chocolate lover, up the chip count to 48 and place one chip on each square of cereal. Having chocolate on both sides of the mallow also acts as a great adhesive. Makes 24 Takes 15 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
48 pieces of small square cereal (Golden Grahams or Cinnamon Toast Crunch work well)
24 (regular-size) milk chocolate chips
24 mini marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Line up 24 pieces of cereal on a baking sheet. Top each piece of cereal with 1 piece of chocolate. Broil until the chocolate softens, about 1 minute.
3 Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place 1 marshmallow on each tiny s’more—the softened chocolate will help it stick. Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil until the marshmallows are browned, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
4 Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the 24 remaining cereal pieces on top of the marshmallows to form mini s’mores. Transfer the mini s’mores to a serving dish. Serve immediately.
You knew if there were Tiny S’mores, there would be big ones, too. I use regular marshmallows for this, but if you want to go jumbo, you can find the large variety in certain grocery stores, or buy them online. No such luck with the large graham crackers, though. You need to make them yourself! Makes 1 Takes 2 hours
All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
Dough from 1 batch Homemade Honey Graham Crackers
Nonstick cooking spray
4 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
16 regular marshmallows
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a ⅛-inch thickness. Cut the dough into two 8-inch squares. Carefully transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before using.
3 Using oven mitts, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray another baking sheet with cooking spray.
4 Place 1 graham cracker square on the prepared baking sheet and cover it with all of the chocolate. Squish the marshmallows a bit with your hands and line them up on the chocolate. Broil the s’more until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it.
5 Transfer the s’more to a serving dish and top with the remaining graham cracker square. Serve immediately.
World Record S’mores
According to Guinness World Records, the largest s’more weighed in at 267 pounds and was made at the Deer Run Camping Resort in Gardners, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 2014. A total of 104 volunteers worked together to make the s’more. However, pastry chef Jennie Strong and pastry lead Audrey Clous believe they beat that record when on Sunday, October 9, 2017, they made a s’more at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, weighing in at 440 pounds. Their attempt remains to be verified by Guinness World Records.
Strawberry shortcake is one of those desserts I never think to make, but when I eat it, I’m reminded how much I love it. It was something we had a lot growing up, and it always tastes a little bit like home. Using shortbread cookies instead of graham crackers really drives home the strawberry shortcake flavor! Makes 12 Takes 10 minutes, plus 1 hour to rest
6 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved top to bottom
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
24 shortbread cookies
1 bar (1.55 ounces) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place the strawberry halves into a small bowl. Add the sugar and salt and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to macerate.
2 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3 Place 12 shortbread cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Top each cookie with 1 chocolate pip. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each pip. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
4 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish. Top each marshmallow with a strawberry half and another cookie. Serve immediately.
Dark cherries and chocolate are a match for the ages. I like making a compote to give these s’mores that deep cherry punch. Any leftover cherry compote will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Makes 12 Takes 30 minutes
36 sweet cherries, stemmed, pitted, and chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Nonstick cooking spray
12 whole chocolate graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
3 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place the cherries, orange juice, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
2 Whisk the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl, until combined, and add it to the cherry mixture. Simmer until thickened, 5 minutes more.
3 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4 Place 12 graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 3 chocolate pips. Broil just to soften the chocolate slightly, about 30 seconds.
5 Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
6 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish. Top each marshmallow with a spoonful of the cherry mixture and another graham cracker square. Serve immediately.
Putting marshmallow and chocolate on a potato chip is just unusual enough to be surprising, but once you’ve tried it, the combination seems so obvious. These need ganache instead of the typical chocolate bar to adapt to the shape of the potato chip. Once you squeeze the melted chocolate and creamy marshmallow between two crunchy chips, you may not be able to go back to grahams. Makes 12 Takes 20 minutes
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
Pinch of kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
12 regular marshmallows
24 crinkle-cut wavy potato chips
1 Combine the chocolate chips, cream, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power for 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is just melted and the mixture is combined. Be careful not to overheat the ganache, as it can become grainy.
2 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3 Place 12 chips on a serving dish. Top each chip with 1 teaspoon of ganache. (You should have just enough for all the chips.)
4 Place the marshmallows on the prepared baking sheet. Broil them until they’re golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
5 Place 1 toasted marshmallow on each s’more. Top the s’mores with the remaining chips. Serve immediately.
Adding pretzels to a s’more adds so much dimension to the sweet sandwich that you may start looking for something salty in every s’more you make! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you didn’t get enough pretzel and want to go full-on savory with this recipe, substitute pretzel chips for the graham cracker squares (and omit the interior pretzel). If you really want to get into it, use a long pretzel stick to toast your marshmallow. Makes 12 Takes 10 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
3 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
36 pretzels
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Place 12 graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 3 chocolate pips. Broil just to soften the chocolate slightly, about 30 seconds.
3 Top each s’more with 3 pretzels. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil again until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
4 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
Popcorn is so underrated in desserts! Using kettle corn and a little caramel in this s’more gives it such a classic take-me-out-to-the-ball-game flavor.
Makes 12 Takes 15 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
¾ cup Salted Caramel Sauce
1 overflowing cup popped kettle corn
12 regular marshmallows
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Place 12 graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each square with 1½ teaspoons of salted caramel sauce and top each with about 7 popcorn kernels. Drizzle the popcorn with another 1½ teaspoons of salted caramel. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
3 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish and top with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
Olive Oil and Balsamic S’mores
I sometimes like to put oil and vinegar on my ice cream, and the combination translated to s’mores easily. The oil adds a richness to the s’more and the vinegar cuts the sweetness. Since for me, salt is always welcome in a dessert, I’ve added a finishing sprinkle of sea salt as well. Make sure to grab a thick balsamic syrup to add that extra oomph. Makes 12 Takes 15 minutes
Nonstick cooking spray
12 whole graham crackers, broken in half to form 24 squares
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate, broken into individual pips
12 regular marshmallows
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic syrup
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
1 Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2 Place 12 graham cracker squares on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with 2 chocolate pips. Squish each marshmallow a bit with your hands and place 1 marshmallow on each s’more. Broil the s’mores until the marshmallows are golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
3 Transfer the s’mores to a serving dish. Evenly drizzle the oil and then the balsamic syrup over the marshmallows. Sprinkle with sea salt and top the s’mores with the remaining graham cracker squares. Serve immediately.
How a Marshmallow Is Made
How do store-bought marshmallows become so uniform and rounded in shape? Marshmallow manufacturers boil the sweeteners and dissolve the gelatin in water, then combine the two. The mixture is then heated to around 240°F and strained. After straining, an intense amount of air is blasted through the mixture to give it its signature puffiness. A process known as extrusion squeezes the puffs through tubes, forming long ropes that are dusted with cornstarch to prevent sticking and help maintain their shape, and finally cut into your typical marshmallow sizes.