I remember my first s'more. I was shy of 10 years old and at sleepaway camp in the Adirondack Mountains. The girls from my cabin, our two counselors and the hiking counselor were on a camping trip. It was late and dark out and we were all gathered around the campfire. with the sticks that we had gathered from the ground and marshmallows roasting - some falling into the fire, some in full flame. The burnt ones, I soon discovered, were the best. I loved the charred exterior and the warm, melty interior.

As we were roasting our puffy white sugary treats, graham crackers and Hershey's bars were being passed around. It seemed as though everyone but myself knew what to do with them. Put the chocolate bar on top of the cookie, then the marshmallow and another graham cracker on top. I followed along. I took a bite. I didn't love it. I've never been a fan of the Hershey chocolate bar. I've always found it to be too gritty. Chocolate should be smooth and creamy. I was a food critic even at a very young age. I prefered my s'mores without the chocolate.

Many years later I would attend an event with a make your own S'mores bar and I was reaquainted with the summertime treat. A special table was created with all the fixin's - with a much grander selection than the chalky Hershey bar.  Over the years I've had all sorts of incarnations of this summertime bonfire treat and I admit to preferring them much more so than the original one.

For my most recent Birthday I asked my daughter to make me a S'mores Ice Cream Cake a la Dairy Queen.... I wanted chocolate ice cream, Cookies and Cream ice cream, graham crackers and chocolate and marshmallow sauces. (Recipe below) My 16 year old has made incarnations of S'mores Cookies and was recently looking for some new ideas - the inspiration for this piece. For S'mores inspirations that are, in my opinion, even better than the original, read below!

Mini S'mores Cookies

Bite sized versions made from melted chocolate and marshmallow creme offer a slight twist on the original. For the recipe visit Taste of Home. 

S'mores Bars

Using the same ingredients as s'mores but in a bar form. The recipe calls for Hershey's chocolate. I'd personally substitute for a smoother, milkier or even dark chocolate. Cooking Classy has the recipe. Honestly, these look way more tempting than a regular ol' s'more!

S'mores Ice Cream

David Lebovitz, master of the dessert, has conjured up a recipe for the perfect s'mores ice cream. Of course, you can draw from his inspiration and take the easy way out. It's still good - I assure you. My grandmother was the master of doctoring up store bought ice cream and I've inherited the ability to do so as well. Of course today we can find every flavor under the sun, but it's still fun to add in your own fixin's. 

Ingredients:
1 container of premium vanilla ice or chocolate cream (quart) - I always buy what's on sale
1 Container of fudge sauce
1 Container marshmallow creme
Chocolate chips or 1 large bar of good quality chocolate, broken into good pieces, roughly 1 1/2 cups
10 graham crackers ground into crumbs
6 graham crackers broken into pieces
Quart-sized glass or plastic container, or metal mold

Directions:
Soften ice cream and place in a large mixing bowl
Blend in graham cracker crumbs until smooth
Blend in chocolate and graham pieces
Microwave and melt chocolate syrup and marshmallow creme
Working fast drizzle in 1/2 to 1 jar of the marshmallow creme and repeat using chocolate careful not to turn the ice cream chocolate.
Pour ice cream into appropriate container, smoothing out the top and return to freezer for several hours until well frozen.
 

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwich

Homemade coconut ice cream and cookies combine with marshmallow and melted chocolate make these s'mores irresistible on a hot summer day. Brings out the kid in all of us. Recipe from Love and Olive Oil. 

S'mores Ice Pot au Creme

For those who are fans of Paleo and for those who are dairy free, Broma Bakery shares this. For those of you who aren't I'd imagine chocolate pudding, or mousse, Cool Whip or freshly whipped cream and Graham Cracker Crumbs might make a good substitute.... 

S'mores Trifle

I'm not sure I have ever met a trifle I haven't liked...  A little less Paleo, a whole lot easier, hazelnut spread, roasted marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and strawberries. I mean really, what isn't to like here? My Baking Addiction shares her recipe.

S'mores Slutty Brownies

At the tender age of 49 I had my first "slutty" brownie. I never understood the hype or the rage. And then I had my first bite. From then on there was no turning back. You just can't untaste the greatness of it all. While not quite a s'more they may be even better! The recipe calls for S'mores Oreos, if you can't find them I am sure the golden ones would yield a similar effect. Maybe toss in a few chocolate chips for good measure? Head on over to What's Gabby Cooking for inspiration or use your own brownie/chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

S'mores Brownie Bars

This brownie recipe is more along the lines of a traditional S'more but in between the layer of graham and marshmallow is a fudgy brownie. We'll need to try these soon! From Seasons and Suppers.

S'Mores Ice Cream Cake

(Image above - Inspired by The Kitchn)   

You could head over to a Cookie Named Desire, or you could take a shortcut like I did using store-bought ice cream that was also on sale.

Ingredients:

• 2 Quarts of ice cream - I used 1 quart of chocolate and one of Cookies and cream, but feel free to use whichever you prefer
• 1 jar of hot fudge sauce 
• 1 jar of marshmallow sauce 
• 1 box of graham crackers, regular or chocolate
• 1 springform pan

Directions:

• Remove 1 quart of ice cream from freezer and bring it to room temperature - this works best with softened ice cream
• When soft, scoop out the ice cream and place it into the springform pan, in a smooth and even layer, then place in the freezer for an hour or so. Meanwhile, break graham crackers into small bite-sized pieces
• When the first layer of ice cream has hardened, remove the mold from freezer. Place the graham cracker pieces on top, covering it well. Then microwave the hot fudge sauce and pour it over the cookies, carefully to cover the entire surface. Return to the freezer for another hour or so. 
• Repeat with the marshmallow sauce, microwaving it first to soften, then spreading it over the chocolate sauce. If the two blend, that's perfectly fine! Return to the freezer for another hour or so or until hard. 
• When the sauces have hardened substantially, remove the other carton of ice cream from the freezer and let soften. When softened add to the chocolate layers, spreading evenly. Return to freezer overnight to set.
• To loosen the ice cream from the mold pop the springform ring and carefully pull it away. Flip the cake over and place on a plate - the former top is now the bottom layer.
• To remove the rest of the pan you could slip a sharp knife in between the pan and the ice cream and carefully slide the knife around, over the top of the cake. You might want to run the knife under hot water to warm the blade to make sliding easier.
• You can decorate with more fudge, marshmallow sauce, sprinkles graham cracker pieces or cool whip

Happy S'moring!