One of my fondest memories as a child was camping with my family and making smores. My Mom would buy the graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate bars and a big bag of marshmallows. We would all roast them in our special way, yet the end result was a yummy sweet sandwich of sorts. And who could have just one …. No one! Not sure why this is such a satisfying treat – it must be the crunch, chocolate and gooey warm marshmallow all jammed into one little magical treat.
Several weeks ago, I posted a toasted marshmallow ice cream that was divine and completely satisfying. I actually had my parents over for dinner and created a “deconstructed smore” dessert. I took a pure white rectangle plate and placed one of the graham crackers on it, then a scoop of the toasted marshmallow ice cream in a small white dish next to it and finished with handmade chocolate sauce in a wonton soup spoon. It was interesting looking along with being fantastically delicious.
Handmade Graham Crackers
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 whole-wheat flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
Combine the butter, sugar and honey in the bowl of a kitchen aide mixer or equivalent and use the paddle attachment. Mix the ingredients on medium speed until they are well-combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly to incorporate well.
Use a large piece of plastic wrap, place the dough on top and form into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough. Chill for about 30 minutes to one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use either parchment paper or a non-stick cookie sheet to cook the graham crackers.
Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a thinner rectangle about 1/8 inches thick. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut the dough into 2 x 3-inch rectangles. Gently transfer the cookie rectangles to the baking sheets as you go about cutting. Re-roll the scraps of the dough to shape more cookies. To make it look like a graham cracker, using a sharp knife gently cut a line down the center of each cookie, without going to the bottom. Then use a fork to poke the imprints on each side, four to five times. This will create the appearance of the graham cracker.
Bake the crackers for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown, rotating the baking sheets half way for even baking. Let the crackers cool on a wire rack. Makes about 24 cookies.
Adapted from Karen DeMasco’s The Craft of Baking
Several weeks ago, I posted a toasted marshmallow ice cream that was divine and completely satisfying. I actually had my parents over for dinner and created a “deconstructed smore” dessert. I took a pure white rectangle plate and placed one of the graham crackers on it, then a scoop of the toasted marshmallow ice cream in a small white dish next to it and finished with handmade chocolate sauce in a wonton soup spoon. It was interesting looking along with being fantastically delicious.
Handmade Graham Crackers
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 whole-wheat flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
Combine the butter, sugar and honey in the bowl of a kitchen aide mixer or equivalent and use the paddle attachment. Mix the ingredients on medium speed until they are well-combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly to incorporate well.
Use a large piece of plastic wrap, place the dough on top and form into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough. Chill for about 30 minutes to one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use either parchment paper or a non-stick cookie sheet to cook the graham crackers.
Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a thinner rectangle about 1/8 inches thick. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut the dough into 2 x 3-inch rectangles. Gently transfer the cookie rectangles to the baking sheets as you go about cutting. Re-roll the scraps of the dough to shape more cookies. To make it look like a graham cracker, using a sharp knife gently cut a line down the center of each cookie, without going to the bottom. Then use a fork to poke the imprints on each side, four to five times. This will create the appearance of the graham cracker.
Bake the crackers for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown, rotating the baking sheets half way for even baking. Let the crackers cool on a wire rack. Makes about 24 cookies.
Adapted from Karen DeMasco’s The Craft of Baking
I love homemade graham crackers! Your "deconstructed smores" sound fantastic! I'll definitely have to make these soon.
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