Graham Crackers Are the Most Frustrating Part of a S'more — Make These Instead — Around the Fire

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Crisp graham crackers are the classic choice for sandwiching toasted marshmallows and chocolate together. It's the way we learned to make s'mores, and the staple we unquestioningly continue to use. But are they really the best choice to get the job done? I'd argue no. One bite is all takes to send a tremor through the cracker, strong enough to make it crack and crumble, which causes your s'more to break into pieces.

I've got a much better candidate in mind: graham cracker cookies. Ready to learn how they will change everything?

Where the Graham Cracker Goes Wrong

Flavor-wise, graham crackers are an ideal choice for s'mores: They're plain, mild, and just barely sweet. That mild flavor lets the marshmallow and chocolate — the real stars of the show — shine.

But it's the crispy, crumbly texture that makes graham crackers all wrong for the job. Take a single bite and you can say goodbye to the structural integrity of your s'mores, as the graham pieces crack and break. Each consecutive bite acting like an aftershock that splits each cracker even more. It quickly becomes a race to eat as fast as you can and catch the pieces of this sweet treat as they fall apart. Perhaps that's part of the appeal, but if you're after a s'more that lets you linger over every bite, then the graham cracker cookie is for you.

Consider the Graham Cracker Cookie

These cookies spread wide as they cook, baking up into flat, round discs that are soft and chewy, yet sturdy enough to keep it together once the toasted marshmallow and chocolate get sandwiched inside. Made from a combination of crushed graham crackers (used in place of flour), butter, sugar, and a few of the other usual baking suspects, these cookies give you the whole package — big graham flavor with a soft sturdiness that keeps s'mores in one piece until the very last bite.

Get the Recipe: Graham Cracker Cookies

Bake Now, Eat Later

I know what you're thinking right about now: Who wants to turn on the oven to bake cookies, before making s'mores? You've got graham crackers sitting in the pantry, plus s'mores are a snack of convenience — the kind of treat that can be thrown together when the whim strikes.

And I totally agree with you. The solution is to make these cookies just as convenient. Don't wait for the urge for s'mores to strike before making these. Bake the cookies now, or on Saturday morning (or really anytime you have a few extra minutes to spend in the kitchen), and once they're totally cool, store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

The next time you make s'mores, reach in the freezer for these graham cracker cookies. Leave them on the counter or pop them in the microwave, oven, or even on the grill for just a minute or two to defrost — or just leave them chilled for a cool s'mores treat.

The Kitchn | Inspiring cooks, nourishing homes http://ift.tt/2a5y0Vv