gourmet s'mores {build your own}

We're two weeks into summer vacation and I feel like I've hardly been home to enjoy it! After a week at girls camp and a long weekend at the Wasatch Back Ragnar relay race, I am still catching up on laundry and housework while carting kids to swimming lessons and playdates. But I am taking a break to bring you my favorite new summer dessert. Because you NEED to know about this.

Our camp cook up at our LDS girls camp was seriously amazing. You wouldn't believe the things Natalie cooked up for us (I'll share that soon with some other girls camp ideas). But one simple campfire dessert really blew my mind. Gourmet build-your-own s'mores. What the what? Why have I not heard of this before? Thank you, Natalie. You have changed my life.

I'm actually not a huge fan of s'mores (maybe because I dislike cheap American milk chocolate--that's what two summers in Europe will do to you), but these gourmet s'mores have totally rocked my world. We have a gas fire pit in our backyard and let me just say that it has gotten a serious workout since I discovered this treat. We seriously ran out of propane mid-marshmallow roast tonight!

The build-your-own gourmet s'mores begin with two choices of marshmallows (regular and caramel-vanilla were my choices, but try strawberry marshmallows--they're yummy, too!).

We also had two choices of cookies for the base: the more traditional graham cracker, and Keebler Fudge Stripes cookies (you can find these in value brands, but I don't think they're nearly as good as the name brand!). The great thing about the fudge stripes cookies is that you don't need a piece of chocolate at all--they're delish with just a marshmallow between them!

 

Next I offered a variety of mini chocolate candy bars. If nothing else, go with the Reese's peanut butter cups with graham crackers. Holy cow. You will not believe the level of amazingness to which this raises the s'more. Indescribable. A close second for me was Almond Joy, but I am extremely partial to coconut. For the kiddies I had lots of cheap mini chocolate bars to choose from (Hershey's milk chocolate, Krackel, Mr. Goodbar., etc.).

These were such a hit at our Father's Day BBQ that I've got a stash of "gourmet" s'mores ingredients on hand so we can have them anytime. Dangerous, I know, but seriously delicious. The perfect summertime treat.