Some More S'Mores

i just got new cookie sheets. and they must be christened! (thank you mom and dad for the birthday present)

since it's summer. and with summer comes camping. and with camping comes bonfires. and with bonfires comes s'mores.....it's time to whip up a batch of s'more cookies!

these are a labor of love that started as a theoretical brainchild of my nephew. every christmas i make an obscene amount of cookies. i always let my nieces and nephews pick which kind they want me to make....so everyone gets something they like.

my brilliant nephew marc took things a step further, and challenged me to make an entirely new kind of cookie. a s'more cookie.

it took some trial and error. quite a bit of error actually. the perfect ratio of graham cracker crumbs to all purpose flour. the right kind of chocolate chips. the exact perfect time to add the marshmallows. baking time and temperature....

but i've finally come up with a cookie that i can present to my nephew with pride!

now i admit, these aren't my favorite. i like a good strong ginger snap. or a classic chocolate chip with pecans. but marc loves them. and tony loves them. and i will admit they have that wonderful sense of nostalgia associated with summers at camp. and they're a world less messy than a regular s'more.

see how nicely browned the marshmallows are? that's the key to a s'more....the taste of a well toasted marshmallow.  and you can still see just the hint of letter from the hershey bars.  yes, you must use hershey bars. i'm all about high end dark chocolate. but c'mon people. it's a s'more. and for that you have to go with the PA classic.

here's the recipe as it stands now. be very careful to watch the cookies during the last few minutes. you want a toasted marshmallow. not a blackened one!

1 c graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
6 oz unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 c chocolate chips (i'm a fan of the ghiradelli semi-sweet)
1 c mini marshmallows
3 Hershey bars (chopped into small pieces)

-Heat oven to 350F
-Sift crumbs, flour, soda and salt together
-Cream butter and sugar together for 2 minutes at medium speed
-Beat egg and vanilla into butter mixture for 30 seconds
-Add dry ingredients to butter mixture gradually while mixing on low.
-Fold in chocolate chips
-Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet
-Bake 9 minutes
-Remove cookies from oven and press a few marshmallows and a few Hershey pieces on the top of each.
-Place cookies back in oven under broil for 2-3 minutes (watch carefully, as soon as the marshmallows start to brown, remove from oven)

these little beauties will be coming with me tomorrow on a tubing trip down the shenandoah river.  i've also made a gallon of mint-infusted lemonade for the ride. the combination should make for a lovely lazy floating day on the water!