National Marshmallow
Toasting Day: August 30
During eleven out of the twelve months of the year, we enjoy a wide range of
holidays. When we get to August, there is a major shortage of big holidays
to celebrate. Perhaps it as just as well that there are no big
holidays to compete with National Marshmallow Toasting Day.
Enjoy today or tonight by a campfire or bonfire, toasting a big, soft,
sticky and sweet marshmallow, or two, or three, or….. Summer would not be
the same without a campfire and this great campfire treat. Summer is short.
Summer is good. So enjoy it while it is still here. Toast a marshmallow and
forget about everything else.
S'mores
Etymology and origins of S'mores
S'more appears to be a contraction of the phrase, "some more". While the
origin of the dessert is unclear, the first recorded version of the recipe
can be found in the publication "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts"
of 1927. It is unknown whether the Girl Scouts were the first to make and
enjoy s'mores, but there appears to be no earlier claim to this snack.
Although it is unknown when the name was shortened, recipes for "Some Mores"
are in various Girl Scout publications until at least 1971.
Preparation
Part of the enjoyment of this simple dessert is the way in which it is made on
such camping trips. A marshmallow is skewered on the end of a long stick (or
metallic skewer) and held just above a campfire until its outer surface starts
to brown. Once heated, the inside of the marshmallow becomes soft or molten. The
marshmallow is quickly pinched off its stick with the waiting graham crackers,
one of which has a piece of chocolate on it. Ideally, the heat from the roasted
marshmallow partially melts the chocolate. However, some people assemble the
entire s'more on the stick and cook it all at once to ensure that the chocolate
will melt. Peanut butter can be added to the mix for additional flavor, either
between a graham cracker and the chocolate piece or between the chocolate piece
and the marshmallow. Keeping the graham crackers and chocolate near the campfire
can help melt the chocolate.
Making s'mores in this manner is so popular in the United States that
supermarkets often carry graham crackers, marshmallows, and large chocolate bars
in the same shelf section during the summer months. In recent years S'More Kits
for assembly on the kitchen table at home have been sold at housewares stores.
These consist of a small heating element to cook the marshmallow, metal skewers
and a lazy susan to hold the raw ingredients. These are similar to fondue sets.
Different items sold as s'mores may be found in restaurants, prepared at home,
or even bought ready-made. These confections usually contain the three
ingredients of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow, but they are not
necessarily heated or served in the same shape as the traditional s'more.