Getting toasty
Enjoy s’mores without the smoke in this delicious platter
THE WEATHER IS WARMER and it’s time to start entertaining! Enjoying what could be better, and easier, than sharing meal on boards, platters and plates . . . as chef Maria Zizka shows in her new book.
Enjoying a meal on a board, she says, starts off with appreciation for the food; its beauty: ripe fruit cut into bite-size pieces begging to be picked up, crunchy seeded crackers peeking out from behind paper thin slices of prosciutto, and creamy dips with warm breads to drag trhough them.
Boards, Platters, Plates offers all the recipes and presentations you need to entertain this summer.
S’MORES WITHOUT A CAMPFIRE graham crackers + toasted marshmallows + warm chocolate sauce
Your oven grill or gas stovetop can stand in for a smoky campfire here, browning the marshmallows until they’re perfectly toasted. To complete the s’mores board setup, a warm chocolate sauce is just the right texture for dipping. Homemade Nutella, aka Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, wouldn’t be bad either.
Ingredients Chocolate Sauce, makes about 1 cup
1⁄2 cup (120ml) water
1⁄3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄2 cup (100g) sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
55g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Toasted Marshmallows
12 large marshmallows
Store-bought components
Graham crackers
Method
Make the chocolate sauce: In a small or medium saucepan, whisk together the water, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt over medium heat.
Once the mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate dissolves. The chocolate sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve it when it’s warm and dippable but not so hot it’s runny. Any extra will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to one week, ready to be gently rewarmed and spooned over your next icecream sundae.
Toast the marshmallows: Just before you’re ready to serve the board, heat the oven broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the marshmallows on the sheet in a single layer. Place under the broiler until golden brown and toasted on one side, about 15 seconds. Carefully flip the marshmallows and broil on another side until golden brown and toasted, 15 seconds. Continue flipping and broiling until the marshmallows are golden brown on a few sides. (Alternatively, you can stick wooden skewers in the marshmallows and cook them over a gas stovetop until toasted on a few sides.)
Assemble: Arrange the toasted marshmallows on a serving board. Stack the graham crackers next to them and serve the warm chocolate sauce in a small bowl with a little spoon.
— Serves 4 to 6