Grown Up Fireside Smores Food

ALL GROWN-UP S'MORES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• TO MAKE THE CRUST:.
• Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and granulated sugar until will combined.
• Press into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan.
• Bake the crust until starts to brown and become crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING:.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl until they are thick and the color of butter.
• Beat in the Cognac, creme de cacao, Kahlua, vanilla, and salt.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.
• Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Let cool slightly, then gradually beat into the egg mixture.
• Fold the softly beaten heavy cream into the chocolate mixture just until combined.
• Spoon the chocolate cream over the graham cracker curst, smoothing it evenly with a spatula.
• Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• WHEN READY TO SERVE - MAKE THE MERINGUE:.
• Using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg whites until foamy.
• Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• Add the marshmallow Fluff to the egg whites a little at a time, beating constantly until stiff peaks form.
• ASSMBLY & SERVICE:.
• Carefully cut the S'mores into 15 large squares.
• Place each S'mores on a dessert plate.
• Top each with ½ cup of the meringue in a large dollop.
• Use a small kitchen torch to carefully burnish the meringue until tipped with golden brown.
• Serve immediately and accept all the accolades!

THE GROWN-UP S'MORE

Steps:

• Pour cold water over gelatin. Set aside. Put first measurement of corn syrup in mixer bowl. Combine hot water, corn syrup, and sugar in small saucepan. Stir over medium flame until sugar dissolves, then let cook without stirring. Cook mixture until it is 230°F (use a candy thermometer). Pour into reserved corn syrup. Whip on medium-high, adding gelatin mixture bit by bit. Continue whipping for ten minutes. Add vanilla extract, mixing just to combine. Spread in lightly buttered bread pan, shallow pan, or roasting pan. Make sure height is at least 1/2 inch. Let sit 24 hours, uncovered. Cut with hot, wet cookie cutter and toss in powdered sugar to keep from sticking to each other.
• Bring water, sugar, and vanilla to boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin to sugar mixture, stirring to dissolve. Add cocoa, stirring well to get out lumps. Press through sieve into bowl over ice. Stir frequently until room temperature.
• Whip cream to soft peak with electric mixer. Fold into cocoa mixture.
• Whip egg to soft peak with electric mixture. Fold into cocoa mixture.
• Spoon mixture into a shallow baking sheet lined with plastic and spread out to 1/2-inch thickness. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Cut with cookie cutter or knife (so that it will sit on top of the marshmallow, which will sit on top of the graham cracker).
• Combine dry ingredients well in mixer with paddle attachment. Changing attachment to bread hook, add rest of ingredients. Mix just to combine. If dough does not seem pliable, adjust water amount. Roll on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a 4-inch diameter round cookie cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet. When all are cut and on sheet, prick cookies all over with a fork. Bake at 325°F approximately 5 to 8 minutes until just lightly colored on the edges.
• Incorporate egg yolks, sugar, and malt powder in a bowl and mix together well with a whisk. Scald milk and take off the heat. Using a ladle, temper the egg yolk mixture by adding a small quantity of milk to the bowl and then whisking together quickly (don't allow the yolks to cook or you will get a grainy final product). Continue adding milk in this fashion until you have a creamy liquid. Add this mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and blend together well. Using a wooden spoon, cook the sauce over a low heat, stirring constantly and making sure that the bottom is continually scraped. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens (it will leave a clean line on the wooden spoon when you draw your finger across it). Pour into a bowl and place bowl over an ice bath to cool.
• Cut marshmallow with round cookie cutter one size smaller than the graham cracker. Place marshmallow on plate and torch with kitchen propane or butane torch (if not available, broil briefly under the broiler). Place marshmallow on top of graham cracker and put on plate with malt sauce. Place cocoa mousse in/on warm marshmallow and put onto the graham cracker. Top with second graham cracker and serve immediately.

S'MORES

Steps:

• Expertly assemble and ignite a campfire. (Watch a how-to video, if you need.)
• Procure roasting skewers: Metal skewers are the way to go, as they won't leave bits of tree bark behind in your marshmallow. (Flammable twigs and wooden skewers aren't the safest options for younger kids.) Double-pronged roasting sticks designed for marshmallows will keep marshmallows secure as they soften over the flames, but extra-long metal skewers work just fine.
• Make a s'more: With a paper towel, rub a little neutral cooking oil over the end of the metal skewer where the marshmallows will go; this keeps the sugary pillows from sticking. Skewer 2 regular marshmallows or 1 jumbo marshmallow onto the rod.
• Top a cracker with 1 or 2 squares of chocolate, depending on size and personal preference. Sprinkle a little salt over the chocolate, if you like.
• Roast your marshmallows: Resist the urge to immediately plunge them directly into the flames. Hold the marshmallows over the top of the flames, and roast, rotating often, until the marshmallows are golden, gooey in the center and slumped slightly down the skewer, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the marshmallows into the flames, let them catch fire briefly and then carefully blow them out. A perfect marshmallow is a burnished marshmallow, after all.
• Immediately place the charred, skewered marshmallows on the chocolate-topped cracker. Take the unadorned cracker and press down as you pull out the skewer so that the gooey marshmallows ooze over the chocolate and out of the edges of the crackers. Devour immediately. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

FIRESIDE S'MORES

Steps:

• On each of 4 graham cracker squares, place candy bar half.
• Spear each marshmallow on long-handled fork; toast over campfire coals or over grill with low heat.
• Place 1 toasted marshmallow on top of each chocolate bar. Top each with cracker; press together and hold for a few seconds to melt chocolate.