Make-Ahead S’mores (Vegetarian)

You can enjoy Make-Ahead S’mores  any time of year – independent of the weather.

No need to worry about rain, cold or wind.

And vegetarians in your group will be able to enjoy them, too, because the marshmallow-like filling doesn’t contain any gelatin.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen bars that will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, so you can put together a batch for a cottage weekend.

The filling is a meringue-type frosting that relies on egg whites whipped with a simple sugar syrup. (The recipe calls for pasteurized egg whites, which you can find in the dairy section of most grocery stores. If you cannot find pasteurized whites, you can find instructions for how to prepare them at home on this page.)

Don’t get too fussy with the end product. These aren’t supposed to be perfect-looking. “Drop and schmear” is the general technique for both the filling and chocolate topping.

Set up a bit of an assembly line and you can whip these up in a short enough time that you’ll want to make them again soon.

They are a bit messy to eat, as the graham crackers stay fairly crisp and the filling squishes out the sides when you bite down. But this is okay, and I think a fair tradeoff for not having to deal with smoke and mosquitoes.

(If you can’t find graham crackers where you are, you can substitute digestive or wheatmeal biscuits.)

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Make-Ahead (Vegetarian) S'mores

Prep Time

30 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This recipe makes a big batch that will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you don't have graham crackers, you could substitute digestive biscuits.

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

• 1 14.4 oz / 408 g package of graham crackers

Filling:

• 1/2 cup / 125 ml white sugar
• 3 tablespoons / 45 ml water
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml pasteurized egg whites or the whites from 2 large eggs
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml vanilla

Chocolate topping:

• 2 cups / 500 ml milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml honey or corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Check your graham crackers. Some brands are perforated through the center, while others are solid. If they are perforated, separate them into rectangles. If they are not, cut each square into rectangles by slicing quickly with a sharp knife. Some crackers may break, but if you cut down quickly and decisively, most should cut cleanly.
2. Lay half the rectangles on parchment-lined baking sheets.

To prepare filling:

1. Put sugar and water in small saucepan. Heat until the mixture comes to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved. DO NOT STIR. You can swirl the pan gently to move any clumps of sugar if needed.
2. When the sugar has dissolved completely, pour the syrup into a glass measuring cup.
3. While the syrup is cooking, place eggs whites in large metal or glass mixing bowl. Add the pinch of salt.
4. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
5. With the beater running, slowly pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream until all the syrup has been added.
6. Beat the mixture on high speed for seven minutes. Add the vanilla and beat into the frosting.

To prepare chocolate topping:

1. Place chocolate chips, honey (or corn syrup), and vegetable oil in a glass bowl or measuring cup.
2. Heat in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is smooth and can be stirred easily.
3. If the mixture gets too thick, stir in additional vegetable oil 1 teaspoon / 5 ml at a time until it is a spreadable consistency.
4. If you do not have a microwave, place the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Heat and stir until smooth and a spreadable consistency. Add additional oil if needed.

To assemble s'mores:

1. Spread a generous 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of filling over the bars (the filling should be rounded in your spoon). Top with the remaining crackers.
2. Drop 2-3 teapoons / 10-15 ml of chocolate on each bar and spread across the top. If the chocolate starts to thicken, heat it gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is spreadable again.
3. Let the bars sit for 15-20 minutes to give the chocolate time to set. Serve or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Recipe Notes

After you have spread the filling over the bars, you can place them under a broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown them lightly before topping them with the remaining crackers.