Fake Ginger

graham crackers

S’mores Poke Cake

S'mores Poke Cake - chocolate cake with marshmallow sauce inside! And topped with Cool Whip, crushed graham crackers, Hershey's bars, and marshmallows!

O. M. G.

Y’all. It’s s’mores week!

S’MORES WEEK!

This is the 3rd year that Nicole and I have done this and if you didn’t know, National S’mores Day is Wednesday (August 10) so get your booty to the grocery store for all the supplies you need.

And if actual s’mores bore you, Nicole and I have 10 fun s’mores treats planned for the week!

TEN! So many s’mores!

(We probably should have gone for matching s’mores tattoos instead of pineapples, huh?)

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Baked S’mores Doughnuts

We made it to day 5 of S’mores Week! Not gonna lie, I procrastinated on most of these posts and literally woke up panicking about s’mores one night earlier in the week. S’mores took over my life! It was fun though and I’m going to try to talk Nicole into doing another week of themed goodies later in the year!

I made Baked S’mores Doughnuts for my final recipe! I know the baked doughnuts get a lot of crap these days but I love them! And I love the “But they’re just cupcakes baked in a circle” argument because I can be all EXACTLY. They’re cupcakes in the shape of a doughnut so you can eat them for breakfast without any judgment!

This is my standard chocolate doughnut recipe but it has some graham cracker crumbs mixed in! And then a super simple marshmallow glaze with s’more goodies on top. I made these yesterday for my kid’s afterschool snack and he was so excited to see them! It’s been a really long time since I used my doughnut pan so it was quite a treat.

Nicole made a S’mores Cocktail! Happy Friday indeed!

5 from 1 vote
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Baked S’mores Doughnuts
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
For the marshmallow glaze:
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow cream
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
For serving:
  • coarsely chopped graham crackers marshmallows, chocolate bars
Instructions
  1. Lightly grease a doughnut tin and preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk in sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, or your doughnuts may be a bit rubbery.
  4. Fill each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full. You can do this with a spoon, but I prefer using a piping bag to fill each cup more evenly and cleanly. It’s important not to overfill, or as the doughnuts rise, you’ll lose the hole.
  5. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of your doughnut pan), until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before glazing.
To make the glaze:
  1. Pour the boiler water over the marshmallow cream in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the doughnuts. Sprinkle with graham crackers, marshmallows, or chocolate if desired.

S’mores Ice Cream

Can I tell you about yesterday? Mmmkay.

Yesterday I decided to give up coffee. Which was kind of a big deal because I drink a pot every morning and about half a pot every afternoon. But lately I haven’t liked how I felt after drinking it. Like, it didn’t hurt my stomach but it didn’t feel nice either. So anyway, I decided to quit cold turkey. Got up, drank a 32 ounce bottle of water, and was all “Weeeeee! I don’t need caffeine!” as I walked the kid to school, bought and sent my last care package to the husband (!!), walked back to school (with the dog in tow), and then cooked lunch for everyone.

Then I crashed. Quite literally. Walked to my bedroom for a highlighter and woke up 30 minutes later with a kid poking me in the head asking for a cookie. (Don’t worry, the baby was safe in his crib!)

So at 1:15 pm I was making coffee. Uggghhh. But at that point it was kind of too late and I just stayed in a funk. You know how it is.

The high point of my day was this ice cream.

Every night (well almost…) I look forward to my workout but yesterday someone hid my DVD player remote so I couldn’t do it because Insanity has this stupid music that I can’t turn off without the remote, so I said screw it and did what any sane person would do: got a cheesecake bar. I left it on the arm of the couch while I did who knows what and came back to no cheesecake bar. Sadface.

AND THEN I remembered that I had this ice cream in the freezer and my bad day was forgotten! This ice cream plus DVR’d Pretty Little Liars was just what I needed.

It’s ice cream that’s made with blended up toasted marshmallows! Yeah. And then it has a fudge swirl and graham crackers! Y’all know that I’m pretty much a vanilla only person when it comes to ice cream but this is definitely one of my favorites! I think I could just make the marshmallow base without the add-ins and be happy too.

Nicole made cinnamon rolls! Omgggg! I can’t wait to try them!

Two years ago: Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

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S’mores Ice Cream
from Brown Eyed Baker
Ingredients
For the Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream:
  • 1 10-ounce bag large marshmallows
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped graham crackers
For the Fudge Swirl:
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the ice cream:
  1. Heat your broiler. Spread the marshmallows in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place them under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted and golden. Take them out and, using tongs, flip them over and pop them back under the broiler for another 30 seconds or so, until the other side is toasted. (Alternately, you can use a kitchen torch to toast them right there on the pan.) Set the marshmallows aside.
  2. Place the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Split the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the seeds into the pan with the milk. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
  3. While the milk is coming up to a simmer, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a large, heatproof bowl. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Put the heat on medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (it should be between 170 and 175 degrees F on a thermometer). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before proceeding.
  4. Place the toasted marshmallows in the blender, then pour the custard into the blender as well. Puree until the marshmallows are completely broken down and the mixture is smooth. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and blend again for about 5 to 10 seconds to combine. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover andrefrigerate overnight.
To make the fudge swirl:
  1. Whisk together the sugar, water, corn syrup and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Cook for about 1 minute, whisking the entire time. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. It can be stored for up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.
To churn the ice cream:
  1. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When it’s done churning, gently fold in the chopped graham crackers. Spoon some of the fudge swirl onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of the ice cream, ending with a top layer of ice cream. Do not stir the fudge into the ice cream, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking. Freeze until the ice cream is firm, at least 2 hours.

S’mores Cheesecake Bars

S’mores Cheesecake Bars – delicious chocolate chip cheesecake bars topped with marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey’s bars! 

S'mores Cheesecake Bars - delicious chocolate chip cheesecake bars topped with marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey's bars!

When I’m not eating cheesecake, I am 100% convinced that I don’t like it. Which is ridiculous for a couple reasons. A) Cheesecake is DELICIOUS and B) I once admitted to eating an entire cheesecake with my BFF while myspace stalking our ex-boyfriends.

So when Nicole and I set out on this s’mores week project I decided to make a cheesecake because I, like just about every other wife of a deployed serviceman, am trying to lose a few pounds before my husband comes home and I knew without a doubt that the cheesecake would not sit in the fridge and call my name until I finally got out of bed at 5:30 am to have a piece. Because I don’t like cheesecake.

Duh.

But guess who was standing in front of the fridge yesterday morning with a cheesecake bar in her hand while she waited for the coffee to brew.

(Nicole made S’mores Campfire Banana Splits – go check them out!)

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Peach Betty

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m somewhat of an emotional eater. I try my hardest to eat healthy and enjoy my baked goods in moderation but sometimes things just hit the fan and I find myself at Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut all in one week. (Last week suuuuuucked.) And when that happens, I’m left with a fridge full of fresh fruit that I never got around to eating.

That’s how this betty came about.

A betty is kind of like a cobbler or a crisp but they are typically made with cubed bread or breadcrumbs. This version uses graham cracker crumbs. I know it looks a little funny but it’s so good! You know when you’re making a graham cracker crust and you save yourself the last spoonful of the mixture? That’s what it tastes like! Unbaked graham cracker crust sound real appealing, right? But trust me, it’s delicious! I found myself scooting peaches around in the baking dish to get more of the crumbs. Mmm!

One year ago: Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Two years ago: Fresh Chorizo Tacos
Three years ago: Blueberry Pancakes
Four years ago: Caramel Banana Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote
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Peach Betty
Adapted from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters
Ingredients
  • 6 ripe but still a bit firm peaches sliced
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch of cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Put sliced peaches in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together lemon zest and graham cracker crumbs. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingers (or a fork) until the texture is sandy. Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; stir until combined.
  4. Spread half of the graham cracker mixture on the bottom of your prepared pan. Layer the sliced peaches on top of the graham crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the fruit.
  5. To make the topping, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top. Dot with butter.
  6. Place the pan on a baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake for 30 - 35 minutes in the preheated oven. The topping should brown and the betty itself should be bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

S’mores Pizza

You remember that time I made that list of things I wanted to accomplish and then procrastinated about actually doing it? Oh, which time, you ask? You smartypants, you! I mean the most recent time.

One of the things I wanted to do was start a Friday night homemade pizza and a movie tradition. I won’t lie, I have completely failed at it but I swear I tried. Every time I tried to make a pizza it was a huge flop. We’re talking straight-into-the-trashcan kind of flops. Then I realized that our grocery store does $5 take-and-bakes on Friday and it was like a sign from up above that I didn’t need to make anymore awful pizzas.

But this past week I decided I was going to make a pizza. This one to be exact. I bought a Pillsbury crust because I didn’t want to risk anything going wrong. Then, OF COURSE, disaster struck.

Sometime in the 5 minutes it took for us to get from the grocery store to the house, the dang pizza can exploded. W! T! F!

But don’t worry, I was going to use that crust even thought it now had all kinds of fun cooties on it from exploding inside a Walmart bag. I left it in a ball in my fridge for a couple hours and then the dang thing refused to roll out. I rolled and I rolled and I rolled but it just stayed little stupid dough ball.

Sigh.

So I ended up making a crust. A crust that looked so perfect and delicious. Until I, you know, tried to get it off the pan and it refused to move.

I am SO DONE with pizza. SO DONE ya’ll. I don’t know if it’s me or the oven or Colorado or what but holy cow, I am ooooooover it.

I’m only making pizza that starts with a cookie dough crust from now on.

ALSO! Friday is National S’mores Day! Woot woot! MAKE THIS. This is easily one of my favorite things I’ve made in months!

Two years ago: Peach Cream Cheese Tart
Four years ago: Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas

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S'mores Pizza
adapted from Pillsbury
Ingredients
  • 1 16- ounce package of chocolate chip cookie ough
  • 1 cup small pieces graham crackers
  • 1/2 cup small pieces milk chocolate candy bars
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. (Optional: trace a circle onto the parchment, flip so the circle is facing the baking sheet. You should still be able to see what you drew.)
  2. Use your hands to form the cookie dough into a large circle, about 1/4" thick.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cookie is a deep golden and the center is no longer gooey. Remove from oven. Turn on your broiler and move an over rack up to the top if necessary.
  4. Sprinkle graham crackers evenly over the cookie. Top with chocolate pieces and marshmallows.
  5. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted.
  6. Serve warm! Slice it like a pizza!

Baked S’mores

Last week I bought a box of graham crackers, a 6-pack of Hershey’s bars, and 2 bags of marshmallows so that we’d have s’mores supplies for the rest of the summer. Do I even need to tell you that we’ve already torn through all that? And to make it worse, I’m scared of the grill so we’re doing stove s’mores and then huddling together in the kitchen as we stuff our faces. It’s real cute.

I did manage to get these Baked S’mores made before we ran out of supplies and I’m so happy I did! I think I like them even better than regular s’mores because instead of whole graham crackers you do a graham cracker crust sort of deal so they’re ridiculously buttery. And the crust stays nice and soft! They’re so perfect.

The recipe calls for marshmallow fluff but I used regular marshmallows – they kind of melted into the crust. You can’t see them but you can definitely taste them. I would definitely use fluff if you want it to look like real s’mores but the marshmallows worked fine if you aren’t too worried about appearances.

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Baked S’mores
from The Apron Gal
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 super-sized 5 oz. Hershey's chocolate bars
  • 1½ cups marshmallow fluff I used regular marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8—8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with cooking oil (optional).
  2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
  3. Sift together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until just combined.
  4. Divide dough in half and press half of it into an even layer on the bottom of prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough, break if necessary to get it to fit in a single layer.
  5. Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
  6. Roll out the remaining dough, just large enough to fit in the 8-8-inch pan. Place dough on top of marshmallow fluff and press down slightly. (Alternately, you can piece it together on top of the fluff instead of rolling but the top might crack apart during baking.)
  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until deeply golden. Cool slightly before cutting.