S’mores Chocolate Bark Adventure

For weeks the craving kept popping up. We were staying in Longmont, Colorado, temporarily displaced from home by smoke damage from the Marshall Fire, huddling together at night with our cat, trying to get through each day.

Some food cravings can be an indication that you’re deficient in something, like a vitamin. But I wanted s’mores oh so badly.

Clearly this was a joy deficiency.

S’mores bring to mind camaraderie and campfires at Lake Champlain. A small, cheerful, controlled fire, not a fire tornado like the one that tore through our neighborhood.

There’s also the satisfying juxtaposition of sweet and salty, gooey and crunchy, with some welcome bitterness from the chocolate. My favorite ice cream flavor at our local shop is s’mores. They don’t make it often...enough.

In desperation, I bought a bag of s’mores “bark” from the grocery store. The chocolate was waxy and overly-sweet. The marshmallows tasted stale. Guillaume identified the graham cracker bits as imitation Golden Grahams. Altogether, not good. But that didn’t stop me from demolishing it while standing in the kitchen.

After settling into new temporary housing in Lafayette, closer to remediation on our home, I decided to make my own s’mores bark. Since the concept seems pretty simple, I thought, why not make gluten-free and vegan variations, too? Anything has to be better than that store-bought stuff.

My first go-around with s’mores bark turned out fairly unbalanced. While the dark chocolate was tempered just right (yay!), it was too heavy on the chocolate. Not enough sweetness and crunch. Turns out that chocolate can accept a lot more add-ins than I expected. Second try with the same exact ingredients in different proportions was so much better.

We liked the gluten-free graham crackers better than the big name-brand ones and preferred the vegan marshmallow flavor and texture to the classic gelatin-containing ones. However, the vegan dark chocolate had a more bitter, coffee-like aftertaste than other 70% cacao bars. Guillaume still went to get some more of that bark, though.

Definitely sample the graham crackers or cookies before making the bark. The first animal-shaped ones were so sweet that a little salt helped balance out the flavor. Also keep in mind that cookie weights vary so the suggested amount below might not match what you’ve got.

I spent a lot of time reading ingredient lists for this. One mini marshmallow brand at the health food store labeled “egg-free” and “dairy-free” used animal-derived gelatin. Surprisingly, a couple very well-known graham crackers and speculoos cookies are technically vegan, but contain ingredients that can be very problematic depending on the sourcing, such as palm oil.

The good news is that none of the bark I made was bad. Plus, prep time is pretty quick.

Now that we’re getting settled again at home, thank yous are in order. We’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support in the wake of this fire disaster. The kindness, the hospitality, the generosity, the hugs — most virtual, some in-person — the well-wishes, the thoughtful messages, calls, and sweet gifts have meant so much to us. We feel incredibly lucky and grateful.

If I can give sweetness back to you, what a joy that would be.

S’mores Chocolate Bark

1 bar high-quality dark chocolate (4 oz., 113.5g)
Handful mini marshmallows (0.5 oz., 15g)
Handful graham cracker pieces (1 to 1.5 oz., 28 to 42g, depending on density)
Sprinkle of salt (optional for sweet grahams)

Tools: Double boiler setup, spatula, parchment paper, cutting board or flat tray that can go in the freezer.

If using full-sized graham crackers, break them up into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl. Add the desired amount of mini marshmallows to the bowl and set it aside.

Line a cutting board with parchment paper.

Add about an inch of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat until it’s simmering and set a small mixing bowl over the top.

Break up the chocolate bar into pieces and add them to the mixing bowl. Stir the chocolate gently with a spatula until it melts completely. Turn off the heat. Using potholders, remove the mixing bowl from the saucepan and set it down on a heatproof surface, being careful to avoid the steam.

Pour about half the chocolate onto the parchment into an oblong shape. Sprinkle the marshmallows and graham cracker bits over it. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate on top.

Place the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes or until completely firm. Remove and break into chunks, if desired.

Put leftovers (if any) in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.