 Review by
Richard SumrallTo paraphrase a famous TV theme song, "A
s'more is a s'more, of course, of course." But is there really more to this
delicious treat? In her new book, "S'mores," author Lisa Adams says yes. Her
book takes the s'more to new levels that incorporate ingredients not usually
associated with this perennial dessert favorite.
What is a s'more?
According to Adams, the recipe for the original s'more first appears in a
1927 Girl Scout handbook. That well-known recipe consists of graham
crackers, chocolate and roasted marshmallows. During her experiments with
different recipes and varieties, she concluded that the marshmallow is the
one ingredient essential to a good s'more: "The marshmallow remains the
foundation, and the heart, of this beloved dessert sandwich."
How to make s'mores
The secret to making a great s'more is in the ingredients, especially the
correct melting of those ingredients. You can choose ingredients to make a
quick and easy s'more in the kitchen or make a night of it with a complete
buffet for guests. Buffet s'mores are fun activities because they let
everyone get creative with different combinations.
Cooking your s'more is also an individual preference. The best options
are usually outdoor fires (over coals, not flames), BBQ grills (the lid
makes the difference), ovens (perfect for large groups), s'mores kits (new
on the market and not completely reliable), and the microwave (fast but no
roasted marshmallow). Although the way the marshmallow is cooked is one's
own preference, Adams suggests that golden brown is the consensus as the
tastiest.
Making your own recipes
Adams has included over 60 recipes and divides them into five categories:
sweet starts, classic tastes, extreme variations, the exotics and holiday
favorites.
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Experimenting with nontraditional ingredients is the theme of one
of Adams' favorite sweet starts -- the Two Tone S'more. This recipe
calls for two distinct fruit flavors within the traditional
ingredients and lets you choose your favorite fruit combinations.
The Chocoholic contains an interesting twist on a popular s'more by
using chocolate marshmallows. A classic taste sometimes found in a
s'more is the brownie. There are several brownie-based selections,
and the Minty Brownie is especially scrumptious. It substitutes
brownies for graham crackers and contains Junior Mints as an
ingredient.
One of the reasons Adams wrote this book is to offer extreme
variations of the s'more. There are many mouth-watering recipes; two
that stand out are Emma's Pound Cake Spectacular (pound cake and
strawberries are substituted for graham crackers and chocolate) and
the Chocolate Raspberry Croissant (using croissants for the
crackers). As Adams points out, the great thing about the s'more is
that you can be as outrageous or exotic as you like when making
them.
Probably the most unusual recipe in the book is the Stroopwafel
Taco. The stroopwafel is "a round Dutch wafer cookie with gooey
maple or honey filling inside." During the heating process, the
cookie becomes soft and can be folded into the ingredients to
resemble a taco.
S'mores are always popular during the holidays. If you have some
leftover pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving, you have the key ingredient
for a Smashing Pumpkin S'more. You can always show your love of the
red, white and blue at your next Fourth of July picnic with a
Patriot S'more. The three colors come courtesy of strawberries,
blueberries and marshmallows.
"S'mores" is a wonderfully innovative and thoroughly entertaining
cookbook. The recipes are easy to understand and are accompanied in
many instances with beautifully photographed examples of the
finished product. According to Adams, "Whether you make s'mores at
home or out in nature, I hope these variations make you melt with
delight -- and reinvigorate your love affair with this venerable
dessert sandwich." This book is recommended to everyone who loves
this classic American dessert.
[Text from file received
from Richard Sumrall,
Lincoln Public Library District] |
