There are a few common things that remind us of summer and can bring up a memory in an instant; walking barefoot in the grass, driving with the windows down, fireworks on a long weekend and s’mores by the campfire. 

At any summer gathering, the food plays a key role and often can be a social moment when we find common threads with friends and family through the simple decisions like “hot dog vs hamburger” or picking your toppings. If there’s one treat that can cap off a perfect summer day it would be the s’mores. Why do we love s’more so much? Likely because we get to make them ourselves and half the fun comes with creating the perfect ratio of a toasted marshmallow, the right amount of chocolate and the crispiest graham crackers. By the time you get to the s’mores of the meal, the day is full of stories to recap and a little bit of room left for a sticky delicious treat. What makes this process even more fun is the privilege of making a s’more for someone else who trusts your skills, this is both an act of love and an act of service.

The time has come to take your s’mores to the next level and what better way to do it then with some premium ingredients. From a simple spread of Nutella over your graham crackers to using peanut butter cups as the chocolate element. By adding chocolate bars the pallet takes on hints of savoury, salty, crunchy or whatever you desire. A trend we’ve been seeing is restaurants having s’mores as a dessert feature for an interacting element among the table. This is both creative and fun for the child in everyone who wants to secretly still draw on the table cloth. Guests can have some fun building a dessert over a mini burner and turn the end of a gathering into something more exciting. 

What makes s’mores an elite dessert is it’s combination of flavours and textures, we can all appreciate the crunch followed by an explosion of gooey, sticky chocolate and marshmallow. Because of the consistently s’mores have had through time, the nostalgia seems to have a hold on a lot of us. When you see a menu with the same old flavours and find there’s a s’mores option, it’s easy to gravitate too. It’s almost SO universal that we know what to expect and know that it can’t be failed.

As the trend of upscale s’mores continues, we see more and more kits in grocery stores that are branded by chocolate bars but also interactive kits to add these bits of flair. At Cured Catering, they offer their version of a s’mores box in three sizes- personal sizes could be given out individually or to be shared amongst two people. The larger sizes make for the perfect host gift at a cottage or backyard party and have something for everyone to enjoy! Worried someone won’t have a fire pit or suitable space to have an open flame? You can add onto the gift with a portable roaster that provides all that you need for s’mores in the house or outside with just a few simple steps. Surprise your friends and tell them to bring their favourite chocolate bar to the next hangout and have the other parts waiting for them to assemble! The perfect conversation starter and way to get people excited.

While s’mores do set a specific scene in your mind, why keep them restricted to those occasions? We’ve come up with a way to make the perfect s’mores in the oven to enjoy on a rainy day.

• First line your cookie sheet with graham crackers. You can make one S’more this way or 10 on the same sheet pan!

• Place marshmallows on one side of the pair of graham crackers and place chocolate on the other graham cracker. 

• Broil for 1-2 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them! They brown quickly!!

• Remove from the oven, match a marshmallow top to a chocolate bottom and create a sandwich. 

• Enjoy!

It’s safe to say that your mouth is watering just a little bit now that you’re thinking of the next occasion for some s’mores. Don’t hesitate, it’s time to be everyones favourite at your next pool day, cottage weekend or just a movie night in! Put together your own combos to enjoy and the greatest part is everyone can build their own to perfection.