7 Tasty Ways to Celebrate National S’mores Day

Sitting around
the campfire making s’mores is a time-honored tradition that’s as American as
apple pie.  In fact, it dates back as far as 1927 when the Girl
Scouts published the first known recipe for “some mores.” This treat has
become so popular that August 10 has been designated as National S’mores Day.
And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with going with the classic —
toasted marshmallows and chocolate bars sandwiched between graham crackers —
we’re going beyond the basics to bring you seven more ways to enjoy this
campfire favorite:

1. Serve Them in a Cone
| For each serving, take an ice cream cone and fill
it with alternating layers of chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap
each cone tightly in aluminum foil, then heat them on a grill or over the
campfire for a few minutes until the chocolate and marshmallows are
melted.

2. Make Them Minty | Anyone
who loves the combined flavors of chocolate and mint will love this version.
Simply replace the regular graham crackers with chocolate ones, and in place
of the usual chocolate bars, use chocolate after-dinner mints.

3. Roll Them Up | Melt some
chocolate chips in a pan over low heat and crush up several graham crackers.
Then, for each serving, insert a regular-sized marshmallow onto the end of a
stick, dip it into the melted chocolate and roll it in the graham cracker
crumbs.

4. Go
Bananas | Add sliced bananas to your s’mores, and
instead of regular chocolate bars, use peanut butter cups.

5. Take a Dip | Spread a bag
of chocolate chips in a skillet and add a layer of full-sized marshmallows.
Cover the skillet loosely with foil and heat the mixture over a grill or
campfire, checking frequently, until the marshmallows are golden brown. Use
graham crackers as dippers.

6. Get Ready for a Snack Attack
| This idea is great for those times when you arrive
at your campsite during the day and the kids just can’t wait until your
nighttime campfire to enjoy their s’mores. Before you leave home, simply make
a s’mores snack mix by blending two cups of mini marshmallows, two cups of
teddy bear-shaped graham crackers and a cup of chocolate chips. Divide the
mixture into portions in zip lock bags and you’ll be ready to dole out treats
whenever the kids are ready for them.

7. Enjoy Them at Home Sweet Home
| Once you’re enjoyed your s’mores around the
campfire, you just might start craving them at home. When you do, here’s a
simple version you can make without a campfire. Melt 8 ounces of semisweet
chocolate chips in a pan over low heat, then add a 14-ounce can of sweetened
condensed milk and one teaspoon vanilla, stirring until smooth. To assemble
the s’mores, spread some of the chocolate mixture onto two graham cracker
halves and sandwich a layer of mini marshmallows in between them. To store,
wrap the s’mores individually in plastic wrap.