Better than a s’more — and without the campfire
For chocolate portion, Hershey’s Kisses add a dollop of flair to childhood classic
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
S’mores may conjure memories of sleep-away camp, but it doesn’t need to be summertime to capture the flavors of this treat; the combination of wheaty graham crackers, rich chocolate and sweet, gooey toasted marshmallow is good any time of year.
We wanted to package s’mores into a neat blossom cookie, one that would give us all the flavor without the sticky, burned fingers. We made a basic butter-cookie dough for the base and proceeded to boost its flavor by mixing in graham cracker crumbs.
To really highlight the sweet, whole-wheat flavor of the grahams and to add some crunch, we also rolled the balls of cookie dough in more crushed graham crackers. A halved marshmallow sat neatly on top of the baked cookie and, once melted, took on the same size and shape as the cookies.
To get a brûlée on the marshmallows without the burn, we ran the baked and topped cookies under the broiler until the marshmallows developed a toasty-roasty top. At last, we turned to the crowning touch: the chocolate.
Rather than use bar chocolate as with traditional s’mores, we thought we’d follow the dressed-up vibe of this cookie and top it with a Hershey’s Kiss hat for the same chocolate flavor with a touch of flair. This cookie might just be better than the classic s’more — and there’s no campfire required.
S’mores Blossom Cookies
Makes 24 cookies Start to finish: 30 minutes 1¼ cups (6¼ ounces) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (3½ ounces) sugar 8 whole graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs (1 cup) 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 12 large marshmallows, halved crosswise 24 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in bowl.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar and ½ cup graham cracker crumbs on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Spread remaining ½ cup graham cracker crumbs in shallow dish. Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll into balls, then toss in graham cracker crumbs to coat; space dough balls evenly on prepared sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until just set and beginning to crack on sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes.
Adjust oven rack 10 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place 1 marshmallow half, cut side down, in center of each cookie. Broil cookies until marshmallows are deep golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds, rotating sheet halfway through for even browning if needed. Transfer sheet to wire rack and immediately place 1 candy in center of each marshmallow, pressing down gently. Repeat with remaining cookies, marshmallows and Kisses. Let cookies cool completely before serving.