S'mores aren't just for campers

S'more the merrier, we say.

Graham crackers, it turns out, are not the only conveyance for golden-toasted marshmallows and warm, gooey chocolate. There are cinnamon graham crackers, Carr's wheatmeal biscuits, chocolate wafers, crushed cereal bars, pies and tarts, s'more cakes, plus different ingredients and spreads to tuck in there with the classic mallow-chocolate combo.

This campfire treat from childhood and Girl Scout troop treks has even caught the attention of fine-dining advocates.

The Epicurious Web site alone has gathered dozens of s'more recipes from Gourmet magazine, Bon Appetit and fine restaurants from coast to coast. This is the site — epicurious.com — for finding the lengthy directions to make homemade graham crackers and homemade marshmallows set with unflavored gelatin.

Whew! That would be a hobby, not a simple dessert to fuel childhood nostalgia.

I have made homemade graham crackers, but just once. Marshmallows are basically corn syrup set with unflavored, unsweetened gelatin, whipped and chilled until set. You make a panful, cut it in cubes and roll them in powdered sugar and a little cornstarch. I think that's way too much trouble, and that opinion was confirmed by an amusing online recipe critique from someone somewhere who'd followed the laborious instructions for homemade everything from the celebrated French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, Calif.

"They (the s'mores) came out great. I would point out, however, that the homemade marshmellows (sic) come out almost identical in flavor and texture to fresh, store-bought Kraft Jet Puff marshmellows (sic)."

Surfing the 'Net for s'mores, I discover that fine-diners at First in New York City once enjoyed making their own s'mores right at the table — toasting marshmallows over "flaming pots of coals." Wonder what kind of powerful ventilation system that restaurant used?

Definitely skip the flaming coals indoors because a single votive candle can toast mini-marshmallows on toothpicks just fine for mini-s'mores. Give each guest his own candle for in-house s'more-making. Then there's no danger of the fire department dropping by or loved ones keeling over in your dining room from carbon monoxide poisoning or smoke inhalation.

Maybe the Girl Scouts have always had the right idea — keeping s'mores casual and in the great outdoors. If you don't want to actually build a campfire, any grill or hibachi works just fine for rendering marshmallows golden-brown and crisp enough to make milk-chocolate squares slightly molten when smushed between two graham crackers.