Elevate S'mores Like Ree Drummond With Just One Ingredient Twist

There are tons of ways to switch up how you make your s'mores. Each component of the beloved campfire treat can be elevated or tweaked to provide a unique take or a more flavorful one. From the Graham crackers or cookies you select to build upon to the chocolate or candy melted inside with the marshmallow, there are seemingly endless ways to adapt this recipe. Ree Drummond, however, has introduced a simple twist on how she uses one of the three key ingredients for a different dessert experience. As she shared on her Pioneer Woman blog, rather than placing the chocolate inside the s'mores, Drummond dips the marshmallow sandwich in melted chocolate. 

By dipping the sweet treats in chocolate instead of sandwiching them inside, the dessert becomes easier to eat. The stretchy marshmallow is encased, and the chocolate is safely encompassing the sandwich and fully formed to it. When the chocolate is placed inside as slabs, it can sometimes not melt all the way and slip out of the s'more (among other common s'more mistakes). The wide surface area of melted chocolate also provides a unique opportunity to dress up the s'mores with toppings like chopped nuts and crushed cookies, which brings more color to the dessert. 

Just because you opt to dip the s'mores in chocolate doesn't mean the range of chocolate you can use becomes limited. Apart from basic options like white, milk, and dark chocolate, you can also try using ruby chocolate and all kinds of specialty chocolate. With many varieties of chocolate chips, such as peppermint, peanut butter, and butterscotch, you can add more flavor with these more unusual picks. Ina Garten even uses flavored marshmallows in her s'mores.

For those who typically swap out the chocolate with their favorite candy, don't let this new approach stop you. Start by melting down the chocolate bars and using them to dip the s'mores in. For those candy bars that have crunchy components, such as Snickers, Heath, Twix, and Almond Joy, use a rolling pin to crush the candy bar before melting it. This will help create smaller pieces of the crunchy ingredients so your s'mores are more evenly coated. 

The next time you gather around a fire or make stovetop s'mores at home, don't let yourself be restricted by the conventional dessert. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and dip half or even the whole s'more into the chocolate for a coat before letting it cool. But don't forget to add any toppings, sprinkles included, before the chocolate hardens again. For more inspiration, peruse Tasting Table's upgraded s'more toppings.