Campfire-less S’mores Bites

Sometimes you feel like a campfire, sometimes you don’t, but you ALWAYS feel like S’mores. Am I right or am I right? So this is my indoor, no campfire required, tent and sleeping bag optional, version of S’mores. So before you have a hissy, this recipe is not strict Paleo…but really…were we ever under the impression that any of my dessert recipes were strict Paleo anyway? More like as Paleo-ish as you can be while still eating dessert. Ya dig? So anyway back to you yelling at me, no these are not strict Paleo-ish, but they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free and are way better for you than regular ole’ S’mores, I guarantee it. And I’m not even the Men’s Wearhouse guy. If you were so inclined you could make a Paleo-ish graham cracker and then they would be more Paleo…that seems like a lot of work to me though, so since dessert is a treat anyway I decided to live a little. Besides, these are the BEST gluten-free graham crackers. They taste way better than the regular ones. I take them camping with me every year so I can have real campfire S’mores. Now I have a recipe to hold me over until then, because only having S’mores once a year is no fair.

So Paleo f(x) is this week! Eek! I leave for Austin this Thursday. I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it! I’m so excited to meet all my blog buddies (#nerdalert) and eat my way through Austin. Somehow I convinced Stacy LaLa to wait in the 3 hour Franklin’s line with me. That’s true friendship people. And a foodie as true as I. We were so MTB. I’m also SO excited to see Juli from PaleOMG. Have you guys seen her new puppy Jackson yet? #cutealert. You will want to watch YouTube videos of him all day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I wish she’d bring him to Paleo f(x). I’m going to go pout now. I want puppy licks. I’m so thankful for my amazing friends. You know what else I’m thankful for? S’mores that you don’t need a campfire for.

Campfire-less S’mores Bites
*Makes 9

Graham Cracker Layers

Ingredients:
1 box Kinnikinnick S’moreables Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

Directions:
1. Break each cracker evenly in half. Set aside and make marshmallow layer.

Marshmallow Layer

*Adapted from The Urban Poser
Ingredients:
1 cup filtered water, split into half cups
2 tablespoons powdered grass-fed gelatin or 2 packs of Knox brand
1 cup organic light colored honey or maple syrup or half of each
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In your mixing bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over 1/2 cup of water. Allow to bloom for about 10 minutes.
2. While the gelatin is blooming, pour the other 1/2 cup of water in a sauce pan along with the honey or maple syrup, the vanilla, and the salt. Turn the burner on at a medium to medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil (watch it though as it likes to really foam up). Place a candy thermometer in the sauce pan and continue to boil the mixture until it reaches 240-242 degrees This could take anywhere from 10-40 minutes depending on how hot the burner is size of your pot and even the humidity in the air.
3. Set your hand mixer or stand mixer to medium. Pour the honey/syrup mixture into the bowl with a steady stream, combining it with the softened gelatin. Avoid pouring it directly on to the beaters or the syrup will splatter and hit you or the sides of the bowl. Pouring somewhat slowly is also very important, otherwise the sugar syrup will be too hot when it hits the gelatin causing the marshmallow mixture to break later when you try to spread it.
4. Turn the mixer to high and continue beating until it triples in volume, becomes white in color and the bowl is more or less cool to the touch. This can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on your beaters.
5. Once you get a marshmallow cream texture go ahead and set your bowl aside, it will thicken as it sits.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To assemble s’mores bites, take one half of the graham cracker and spoon a dollop of marshmallow fluff on to it. Then place another halved graham cracker on top like a sandwich. Then place each one as you go on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
7. Once you are finished assembling the s’mores bites, use a chef’s torch to roast the outer edges of the marshmallow.
8. Garnish with a thick chocolate drizzle by melting a 3.5-ounce chocolate bar or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips using the double boiler method or by placing a bowl with the chocolate in it over a simmering pot of water and stirring intermittently until melted. Then transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag or Ziploc freezer bag with a corner cut off, and press slightly to drizzle chocolate on top of the s’mores sandwich.

Notes:
Jenni from The Urban Poser is my favorite. I want to be her when I grow up. So of course I had to recipe-jack her marshmallows. I could have tried to make my own, but if it’s not broke, why fix it? Ya dig? Anyway the marshmallows are super easy to make. I didn’t have a candy thermometer, so I took a meat thermometer, which only goes up to 190, and waited for it to go to what would probably be 240 if it went that high. Was that the best way to do it? Probably not, but guess what, the recipe came out and it was all I had. Use what you got people. I also used a hand mixer to make mine because I don’t have a stand mixer gasp and it worked great. This recipe totally reminds me of when you make whipped cream out of heavy cream, you just have to kind of sit there forever but then eventually it thickens up and you get this gorgeous fluffy consistency. It was so fun!

Are your fingers sticky? So worth it though right? I know. This recipe would be a lot of fun to serve as dessert for a dinner party or even a slumber party. Any party really, these are sure to be a hit. I mean it’s freakin’ S’mores for geeze sake. I think S’mores might be in my top favorite foods of all time. Maybe not like Top 5 status, but Top 10 for sure. There is nothing like gooey toasted marshmallow mixed with chocolate and graham crackers. Now I want some more…s’more, get it? Get it?