Hello friends,
Well, summer vacay has officially started for our family! Here in Canada, the kids go to school right to the end of June, which feels like a pretty long haul. It is the Canada Day long weekend this weekend, but we will actually be heading down to our cabin on Big Lake in Washington, so we will be celebrating Canada Day from afar. We only get to really enjoy this slice of heaven for July and August so we try to spend every minute possible there.
On Big Lake, they have a huge fireworks display on the 3rd of July. It is a fund raiser for the local fire department, and it is spectacular! We always invite some other families down to enjoy the fireworks with us, so it is a pretty fun time. The last two years in a row, I have done a S’mores buffet the night of the fireworks and it has become a pretty special tradition!
A S’mores buffet is one of those things that is super simple to put together, but people are always really impressed. Big impact for little effort – Sounds pretty good right?
Today I thought I would share this idea with you so you too can wow people with your mad S’more skillz!
Essentially the idea is that you provide your guests with the supplies to “up-level” their smores. In addition to the basic S’more components, graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate…
…I like to offer some additional ingredients to create some different S’more flavors.
Once I got to brainstorming new and delicious S’more combinations, I realized the possibilities are really endless, but today I am sticking to some of the winning combinations we have sampled so far.
Here is a list of suggested S’more combinations for your guests to try:
1.The Classic – marshmallow, milk chocolate and graham crackers
2.The Salty & Sweet – marshmallow, chocolate and Pretzel Crisps (this one is my fave!)
3.The Vanilla Dream – marshmallow, chocolate and Nilla Waffers (this looks like a mini slider!)
4.The Peanut Butter Delight- marshmallow, chocolate and peanut butter cookies (another version could be the PB &Jam, yummy!)
5.Dark Chocolate & Almond – marshmallow, dark chocolate and toasted almonds, graham crackers
Now these are all just suggested combos for people to try, the fun part of a S’mores buffet is for people to get creative and try new flavor combinations.
It’s interesting to see what people will come up with! For example Stella came up with this interesting idea, which we will call “The Hot Dog”. I don’t recommend it, eeewwww!
Tips and tricks
You really can just throw all of this together spur of the moment and it will be much appreciated. Gather up the basics and then throw in some different “cracker” options and you can call it a day right there.
And for anyone that has a gluten intolerance like my youngest kiddo, you will be happy to know that there are Gluten Free Graham Crackers, Cookies and Pretzel crisps out there!
I find that when I am hosting a S’mores Buffet for a larger crowd, a little advance prep goes along way.
If you think of a S’more like a sandwhich, I like to prepare the “bread” ahead of time. I melt the chocolate over a double broiler
and drizzle it onto some of the graham crackers, cookies and pretzels…
I also like to add the almonds for the above mentioned Almond and Dark chocolate version.
I like to use dark, milk and white chocolate, and then throw in a twist with Reese’s peanut butter chips and Heath/Skor bits!
Have fun laying out all of the ingredients on some platters and trays. I try and stick with non-breakable items like plastic and wood.
I have seen these dessert themed chacuterie boards popping up on my Pinterest feed and love this idea. So I decided to try that with my S’mores ingredients.
I took my S’mores main ingredients and arranged them on the cutting board, and then added some fruit, nuts and chocolate chips. Isn’t it pretty? I am kinda in love with the S’mores charcuterie platter!
Additional things to have on hand
Roasting sticks, of course
Hand Wipes
Paper Plates
All in all, the S’mores buffet is a pretty easy thing to pull together and the last two times we have done this, it has been so popular! You don’t even really need a fire to host a S’mores buffet. For the photos in this post, I baked the marshmallows in the over!
I just used the broiler at 500 degrees, but word to the wise, marshmallows burn fast! This charred mess happened in less than a minute! #foodfail
So there you have a really delicious, fun and simple idea for your next summer gathering!
Do I have you craving some S’mores yet? Comment below with any questions you have, and let me know what you think!
