After a long twilight around a campfire, there is no better confectionery to follow up your slightly cold, mess-tin evening meal than a toasted marshmallow. To break whipped gelatin with your fellow man is a sacred passage of campfire culture – the bedrock upon which all other evening frivolities take place.
The trouble is that marshmallows are often insipid sweets, so why not bring a touch of American decadence along to your next camping trip with a pack of s’mores.
If you’d like to upgrade more of your campfire cooking gear, check out the rest of our articles from Chris Williams, including the best portable fire pits, best campfire tripods and our guide to campfire cooking.
What is a s’more?
S’mores (a contraction of ‘some more’) are campfire marshmallows type 2.0. Popularised in the US in the mid-20th century, they consist of a toasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two sweet crackers. They’re light and simple to make, yet undeniably delicious.
How do you make one?
• To build a s’more, first toast your marshmallow over the campfire as you usually would, looking for a gooey consistency as it begins to break shape but not necessarily brown or burnt.
• Once the marshmallow has been suitably toasted to your preference, carefully remove it and place it between two sweet crackers or biscuits along with a layer of chocolate in the middle.
• Go for a layer of chocolate on either side of the marshmallow if you want extra indulgence.
S’more kits
As delicious as they are, s’mores require three ingredients to make, some of which may need cutting down to shape to be properly enjoyed. If you’d like to save yourself the time and space in your backpack, go for a s’mores kit instead.
These pre-made packs feature all the ingredients needed for a proper s’more, including the ‘graham’ crackers traditionally associated with them, and all cut down to shape for convenience. They often feature the clean, sanitised skewers for marshmallow roasting and all for a decent price.
Not sure where to start? Here are some s’mores kit suggestions to get you going.
Pros
- Reasonable price for eight s’mores with branded Nutella packs
Cons
- Only eight in the pack may leave you wanting more
To achieve the perfect s’more, Cloud Nine also throws in a recipe card, bamboo skewers and even a two-hour marshmallow toaster if you’re stuck without a fire.
Send it as a gift or keep it for yourself – this is a quality kit for a great price.
Pros
- Quality ingredients
- Toaster included if without a fire
Cons
- Hershey’s chocolate bars will need cutting down to size
The toasting paraphernalia is all here, too, including a bamboo skewer set and a marshmallow toaster. This set features 16 biscuits for eight s’mores
Pros
- Small box with everything in – perfect for travelling with
- Chocolate thins and crackers are pre-cut down to the perfect size
Cons
- Expensive option for only eight s’mores
Want more chocolate? Add as many chips as you like.
The entire kit is also customisable depending on the party size, with kits ranging from small to medium and large, or two-three and five-six people respectively. The ingredients, toaster and skewers are all high quality and for a good price.
Pros
- Family oriented option
- Customisable kit
Cons
- The large box takes up more space in a backpack
This kit is an exercise in palatal exploration but fear not – all the regular ingredients are thrown in too, including 12 house-made biscuits and six hand-painted chocolate shards. Finished and delivered in a beautiful blue gift box, this set would make a perfect gift for an adults-only camping trip away.
Pros
- Unique flavour combinations
- High-quality ingredients
Cons
- May not be suitable for children
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