Everything you need to make s’mores at your next bonfire

Making s’mores at your next bonfire or campfire

Nearly 100 years ago, the s’mores recipe was invented: 16 graham crackers, 16 marshmallows and eight chocolate bars. There are many ways of putting those ingredients together, but there are some things that are absolute musts for making s’mores.

Make a sandwich

The classic s’more is a sandwich made from two graham crackers filled with warm, gooey marshmallows and chocolate. You can stack these three ingredients any way you wish and it will still be a s’more.

• Graham crackers: Tradition calls for regular graham crackers. Adventurers like experimenting with graham flavored with things like chocolate and cinnamon. The size of the cracker is up to you, but the classic process begins by breaking it in half on the dotted line and using one piece as the bottom and the other as the top of your sandwich.
• Marshmallows: Sugar, water and gelatin are whipped to a puffy texture. Choose large, medium, small or mini marshmallows, flavored or not.
• Chocolate: Milk chocolate is the traditional choice but darker chocolates with higher cocoa contents hold greater appeal for connoisseurs.

Toast it over a flame

Some favor the cautious approach, keeping their s’mores at the edge of the flame and heating them slowly. Others like to plunge their s’mores right into the flame so they’ll catch fire.

What kind of fire do you have?

The original s’mores were toasted outdoors over an open campfire. You have more options for a flame source.

• Bonfire: A bonfire is one choice, but not the best one. Bonfires are huge blazes that create lots of flame and heat. They are too hot to get near enough to toast your s’mores without toasting yourself, so a better choice would be a campfire.
• Campfire: A campfire is an outdoor fire that burns wood to provide light, warmth and heat for cooking. Established campgrounds usually have a ring of noncombustible materials circling the site of the fire, typically stone or steel. A good choice is to bring a portable campfire with you.
• Fire pit: If you want to make your s’mores outdoors at home, a fire pit is a comfortable way to enjoy them.

What will you use for sticks?

Back in the days of scouting and camping out when you were a kid, you’d whittle small sticks to hold your marshmallows and s’mores over the campfire. These days, most people use one of two types of sticks.

• Metal forks typically come with insulated handles. Look for forks that are made of stainless steel and are adjustable so you can stay a safe distance from the fire.
• Bamboo skewers are easy to use, easy to dispose of and require no cleaning after.

You’ll need a fire

Campfire Defender Trailblazer Leave No Trace Portable Camp Stove

You can burn wood, charcoal or wax logs in this 3-pound never-rust grill that opens like a camp chair to provide a 12-inch by 12-inch burn area. There is no hardware to lose and no need for tools.

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Outland Living Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit

No more bothersome smoke and no ashes to haul away. You can make s’mores outside your RV, while tailgating before the big game, at beach bashes or out back on the patio. It comes with natural lava rocks for even heat distribution.

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Grand Patio Outdoor Bonfire Wood-Burning Fire Pit

The metal mesh spark screen prevents sparks, embers and debris from flying around. The pit is made of alloy steel and you use the metal poker to tend to your fire as your wood or charcoal burns down.

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Nordhaus 11-inch Concrete Tabletop Fire Pit Bowl with Extendable Skewers

This 17-pound oval bowl has rubber feet and comes with a wax fuel canister, extinguisher, two wooden-handled skewers that extend up to 31 inches and 2 pounds of smooth and polished river pebbles.

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When it’s raining

Sharper Image Electric S’mores Maker

You can still have your s’mores even while indoors with this electric s’mores maker. The stainless steel electric heater is surrounded by a tray with compartments for your graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. The s’more sticks are also stainless steel.

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S’mores kits

City Bonfires Original Portable Fire Pit S’mores Night Pack

This tiny bonfire is a round tin filled with food-grade soy wax so you have no flying embers, smoke, ashes or mess to clean up. You get eight graham crackers, one chocolate bar, four marshmallows and two skewers.

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112-piece FireStix S’mores Kit

Inside the box, you’ll find enough to make 24 s’mores: a box of graham crackers, a 1-pound bag of marshmallows, six full-sized Hershey’s chocolate bars and 15 30-inch natural birchwood skewers.

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Amusemints Make Your Own S’mores Kit

You get two 3.95-ounce packages, each containing six marshmallows, six graham squares and a 1.75-ounce chocolate bar.

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Sticks

Yme Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

This six-pack of stainless steel forks with wooden handles adjusts from 10 to 30 inches so you don’t get burned when the flames are high. These versatile sticks are also great for roasting hot dogs.

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Fly Party 30-inch Bamboo Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

These bamboo skewers look like giant chopsticks and are great for anything you can hold over an open flame. When you’re done with your s’mores, you just toss these sticks into the fire.

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When the fire burns out

Zee Zees Campfire S’mores Soft Baked Snack Bars

This healthy alternative is made of whole grain and oats with mini marshmallows and chocolate bits. You get six 1.3-ounce bars in the package.

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Fannie May Harry London Gourmet Chocolate S’mores

You can enjoy s’mores anywhere with this 18-ounce resealable package of s’mores snack mix. Seventeen servings of fluffy marshmallows and crunchy cereal bits are coated in smooth milk chocolate.

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