the grown up version

this used to be perfection.

the toasty, sugary, warm and squooshy giant marshmallow

sandwiched between

the nutty, grainy, yummy, simplicity that is graham cracker

with the creamy, sh-weetness, melt-iness that is hershey's chocolate.

oh heaven!

until... this.

this is s'more perfection, grown-up style.

ingredients:

3 girlfriends who haven't seen each other in a while and need a good chat

a sterno, matches and a plate

marshmallows and skewers

(we used my grandmother's roast fork instead of skewers, 'cause it's what i had on hand)

a sterno is a little can of jellified alcohol, that when lit is a non-toxic ethanol flame,

typically used in the food service to keep food piping hot.

you can buy them in camping equipment and restaurant supply stores,

and apparently at the grocery store as well.

brilliant for the apartment without a fireplace and

perfect for achieving toasty, squooshy marshmallow perfection

but wait, you say, "where are the graham cracker and hershey's chocolate?"

oh, silly grown up, graham cracker and hershey's chocolate are for kids.

as a certifiable grown up you deserve something better, something more refined...

...something a little more dark and french, with 70% cocoa.

it's the yummiest, butteriest, chocolat-iest biscuit ever,

lu petit ecolier

or in other words the best thing ever to come out of france in a box.

(or at least since pommes frites. (oh wait they don't come in boxes.))

and they come in four flavors: milk, white, dark and extra dark. yay!

ladies, choose your poison. we chose extra dark. oh swoon!

the careful, studied assembly of the s'more

the squooshy, melt-iness perfection.

the bitter dark chocolate is the ideal foil to the sweet, burnt sugariness

of the toasty marshmallow. it's the perfect balance of sweetness.

the blissful, melty, sticky yumminess.

and that, dear ladies, is how you make a grown up s'more.

sorry, gentleman, but you just cannot appreciate this in the same way us ladies can.

your palates are, quite simply, not as refined as ours,

nor do you have the hormonal mood swings that only chocolate can soothe.

just kidding!

(sort of)

grown up kids of all ages will enjoy this version of the s'more!!!!

p.s. i'm thinking this would be a great little kit

to send in the mail to troops overseas for christmas.

can you imagine the smiles?

p.s.s. many thanks to TTS for this lovely concoction.