Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Homemade X and O S'mores

Remember way back when (3 short months ago) when I was waxing on about getting back on the workout wagon and having one last throwdown with those homemade chocolate peanut butter cups as a sayonara?  Well let me just say that once Thanksgiving hit a couple weeks later I entered what I am now calling Holiday Food Coma 2010.  Sadly said coma has carried on to present day and I find myself with more junk in the trunk than I'd care to admit.

So today I returned to Jillian Michaels by completing 4 circuits of No More Trouble Zones during which time I realized I can no longer even properly womanhandle 2lb weights.  It's gonna be a long way back up this dirty mountain.  You see over the weekend I was thumbing through the Williams-Sonoma catalogue carrying on about how fun it would be to try this or that gadget when there they were staring at me from their little cups...X and O s'mores - 8 for a mere $24.95.  Of course I said to myself - challenge! (pronounced shall-onje!)  and decided that much like the Peppermint Bark I would take it to the kitchen and recreate my own.  Shortly thereafter I realized that a return to Jillian was in high order and I have to stop looking in the Williams-Sonoma catalogue.  

These are wonderful and we had so much fun making them from scratch:  gluten-free graham crackers dipped in chocolate with Thomas Keller's marshmallows sandwiched in between.  If you want to give your special someone (ahem, yourself) a homemade gift for Valentine's Day, I couldn't recommend them more highly.


Nothing says true love on Valentine's Day like a set of homemade 
x and o s'mores accompanied by chocolate dipped strawberries.

Graham Cracker Recipe - listed here
*Where they call for a gluten-free blend you can use mine listed here*


 Voila!  So simple and it takes 40 minutes tops - start to finish.
If you want me to list the step by step, just let me know and I'm happy to do it. 

I recommend baking the wafers one day and dipping them the next.  On the same day that you bake the cookies make the marshmallows.  The Chef worked for Thomas Keller at French Laundry and holds him in high regard.  He pulled up this marshmallow recipe that was super simple.  I totally could have done it on my own.  Rather than list the play by play, please see the link.  It took no more than 30 minutes and we let the marshmallow set over night then used our same cookie cutters to cut out matching shapes like so:


That's powdered sugar dusted around them.

To get the chocolate ready I simply used the same method and ingredients from the Peanut Butter Cup Recipe for tempering.  I've received a lot of emails from people saying how easy it is, so no worries you don't need a double boiler.

Assembly:  
  • Dip one side of each graham wafer into your tempered chocolate and transfer it to a parchment lined cookie sheet for the chocolate to set (about half an hour). 

    • One by one dip the other side of each wafer and let sit until just sticky, then put marshmallow on top and add the additional dipped wafer on the other side creating a little s'more sandwich.  

    Let them set about 20 minutes and they're done!

    Confession:  I dipped the remainder of the graham crackers in the leftover chocolate and froze them.  And then I dipped some strawberries in some more leftover chocolate.  And then I said hello Jillian:  It is time.  So from here on out it's protein style turkey burgers, grapefruit, nuts, and hardboiled eggs.  Death to saddle bags, but these made a wonderful last supper... I highly encourage the rest of you to enjoy!

    75 comments:

    Cherisse said...

    Oh yum! Looks so good! Makes me want to bake too!

    Claire Kiefer said...

    Okay whoa--the Chef worked for FRENCH LAUNDRY?? Good God Almighty; you are living with a gold mine. WHAT?! amazing. (No, I've never been there . . . have yet to date someone who's been interested in dropping a grand on dinner . . . and we both know I can't). But Carrie--I'm impressed with YOUR skill, too! As much as I love to cook, I never take on these nuanced desserts like you do--seems like too much room for error. These s'mores are SO DANG CUTE and right up my love-lovin' alley. As perfect as they'd be for my girly Valentine's sleepover . . . let's face the music: there's no way I'm making graham crackers AND marshmallows from scratch.

    I paid a visit to the Almighty Jillian today as well (though my poison is the 30 Day Shred). I have GOT to get this under control (and recover from the damage I did in December--yiiiiiiikes).

    xoxoxo!

    this free bird said...

    Claire - PREACH!! (on the Jillian Front) This is the last fun I'm having til summer and I get on the pinkberry craze. No jokes. I've had it.

    And yes he did work at French Laundry and went to CIA and makes ridiculously good food. He's not much of a dessert guy, so I get to go a little crazy. This was so unbelievably easy and painless and FUN.

    I haven't had graham wafers in 5 or 6 years since Celiac. If I had only known they would be this easy...my waistline thanks me. Or at least it did. Oy

    Girl power!

    xo,
    Carrie

    agnes said...

    hum miam miam.....des marshmallows et du chocolat, c'est tout ce que j'aime

    Anonymous said...

    I want these as a gift to myself, so I think Ill just ask someone to make them for me! Yes. Good plan.

    Just Cake Girl said...

    Great idea :))))

    k said...

    dude. those look incredible. and are so cute!

    Leia said...

    Oh my goodness... I am DROOLING! Sadly this doesn't look Leia-diet friendly so I will have to feast on it with my eyes. Hope you enjoyed!

    Leia

    Vanilla said...

    Oh my! these look amazing! Really have to try this :) thanks for stopping by my blog :) Following

    Love, Vanilla

    http://vanillaheartsstyle.blogspot.com/

    Young at Heart said...

    wow........they look amazing, so bad and yet so good....and am rather keen on the peanut butter cup recipe!!

    Collette Osuna said...

    Holy cow woman!! Those little beauties are off the hook!! How cute!!! They look sinful too, lol...even Jillian would say so, lol

    Stop by and say Hello:)
    Check out my 30x30 Remix….Let’s do this!♥

    RosaLovesDC said...

    So cute!!!

    Pretty Pleased said...

    Sooooo adorable! S'mores have been my weakness for as long as I can remember, dressing them up as X's & O's, you are killing me! :)

    Anonymous said...

    I know these have got to be wonderful because your peppermint bark recipe has now become a holiday staple at our house. I have seem to misplaced my workout motivation as well... I have a Jillian Michael tape somewhere! xo

    Keira Lennox said...

    OH.EM.GEE, Carrie.

    ChinkyGirLMeL said...

    awww this is too cute! send some over my way, I will gobble them down in less than 60 seconds. =)

    Closet Fashionista said...

    MMM! Those look soooo tasty...haha...I wanna try them XD
    http://aclosetfashionista.blogspot.com/

    hip hip gin gin said...

    These look so delicious! I'm so impressed with your treat making skills, everything you make always looks so fantastic!

    Fit With Flash said...

    oh lawd! those look amazing!

    Danielle (elleinadspir) said...

    These look amazing! I've been scared to try making marshmallows.

    Jenni Austria Germany said...

    this might be the GREATEST thing ive ever seen.

    erica said...

    Way too cute! I just might have to make these absolutely adorable things!

    xo

    little luxury list said...

    Enabler...bad, bad enabler. Thank you for making me stalk xantham gum options in Asia (seriously where do I get it here?)

    KatiePerk said...

    I.am.so.impressed!
    Those look amazing!!

    Courtney Erin said...

    I'm a 30 Day Shred and her crazy power yoga video -- I was really lazy over Christmas and barely made it through the first circuit of 30 Day Shred in early January. Ooops. But back to it now in full force!

    xoxo ~ Courtney
    http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com

    Tanya (a Taste of T) said...

    Wow it looks beautiful and tasty! So yummy!

    Jess said...

    Seriously DROOLING....

    Anonymous said...

    Thanks for sharing! That looks so delish!

    My Heart Blogged said...

    That is so cute. I would have a hard time being patient, and not scarfing them all down. They look so yummy. Chocolate covered strawberries are my favorite.
    My Heart Blogged

    FRANKIE HEARTS FASHION said...

    Um, seriously?! Those look so deliciously scrumptious that I am freakin drooling right now! Why is eating so much better than working out?! I went to the gym yesterday for the first time since Dec, 2 letters: BS! Love live chocolate!

    Laura said...

    These are SO cute, and they look absolutely delicious !!! :)

    L x

    Isabel said...

    that looks delicious! i cant believe you made it from scratch. kudos!


    Isabel @ Walk of Fashion

    Moosette said...

    Ummmm - Holy YUM! These look ahhhmazing! I can hold my own in the kitchen but NOT when it comes to desserts... just dont have it in me!

    claire said...

    how cute are these!!! oohh my gosh! thanks for sharing!

    Nikki said...

    They're adorable! What a great last hurrah. I can't wait to try your gf grahams!

    Valerie said...

    You've completely outdone yourself this time, Carrie. These look unbelievable! I cannot believe you made homemade graham crackers AND homemade marshmallows for them. They look SO adorable and perfect for Valentine's Day. Can we talk about food coma 2010-2011? Mine hasn't stopped yet and I totally have some new rolls to prove it. I must jump on your bandwagon of turkey burgers and healthy treats now too. Why has it been so hard??

    xo
    Valerie

    Mary @Delightful Bitefuls said...

    Omg! Those look amazing!! So cute :) Love those! GOOD LUCK on your cleanse... 60 days? I applaud you... and I thought 7 days was hard ;) But, I'm sure you will feel amazing as I felt better after a short period of time! Which cleanse are you doing? Update as you go along! xx

    Tiffany Kadani said...

    No way! These look incredibly and you made it look so easy to make. So yummy!

    Marie a la Mode said...

    These are so cute Carrie!

    Kirsten Nunez (Studs and Pearls) said...

    Those look sooooooooo good. I have such a sweet tooth sometimes.

    Josie said...

    Um, SHUT UP. Carrie. These look absolutely amazing! I'm literally drooling. I love that every single thing is homemade -- it completely adds to the love and charm that clearly goes into these. Bravo, my dear!
    xo Josie
    http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

    Bonnie said...

    Kick some ass working out!!!! If you need any tips, I'm a personal trainer, and I am happy to help.

    BEAST MODE.

    http://glamkittenslitterbox.blogspot.com/

    A Crimson Kiss said...

    These are so darling and look delicious! Really, was the Williams Sonoma catalog designed just to make us crazy? Who could say no to x's and o s'mores?!

    Out Of Runway said...

    MMMM yum yum so delicious !!
    check my blog ;)
    you can follow me if you want :)

    CarrieJo said...

    yum! looks great!

    loving your blog on my first (and not last visit!)

    :)

    Anonymous said...

    sooo yummy..xx Emily of EL Vintage

    Claudia Cifuentes said...

    ah! my mouth is watering. seriously. xo

    Unknown said...

    YOU JUST STOLE MY HEART!!!

    *** said...

    Wow, these look amazing. Sucg a great idea for V day. I am going to get some vegan marshmallows nad make some for my hubby. I usually make heart shaped brownies but this would be a nice change.

    Question - do you do the Jilliam Michael's DVDs or do you go to her gym?

    Venus Loves Virgo said...

    Looks delicious! Can I have some :) XOXO

    kimbirdy said...

    i lost 10 lbs last year doing the 30 day shred. holler! but i've fallen out of practice with my exercise routine. must get back into it if i'm going to make these smores. omnomnom!

    Alicia Lund said...

    NO WAY!!! These are the cutest smores ever!!

    PursuitOfLLT said...

    Carrie, Carrie, Carrie.

    This is unreal.

    Homemade graham crackers? AND marshmallows? I have literally died and gone to heaven. If I could I'd make these right now.

    I think I know exactly what I'll be whipping up for Valentine's day. Or just in general to nom nom on s'mores!

    I have forwarded this link to just about everyone bc it is unbelievable!!!

    OneCraftyFox said...

    Oh wow, these look super delish!! I had no idea marshmallow could be so easy to make... I am so going to try these for Valentines Day! Thanks for the inspiration, now I just need to get my hands on some super cute cookie cutters.

    Getting into a workout routine is hard, yo!! I started mine back up in November and only missed a beat one week when I was down with the flu. I'm working out no less than 3 times per week, one hour per session and rotating between P90X and hot yoga. I kidd you not, my trunk is sore today after last nights workout!

    Have an awesome weekend, doll.

    Freelance Shop-A-Holic said...

    I love Zumba and Pysique 57
    I can't do JM

    Also
    HOLY CRAP

    Also
    HOLY CRAP

    My daughter will be so grateful for the gf GC

    She hates marshmallows but more for me
    :)

    Hannah said...

    I am so in love. Ahh these look beyond delicious! I'm so happy to have come across your blog :) xox your newest follower Hannah

    Ren- Lady Of The Arts said...

    You and the Chef are cordially invited to the residence of Ren, Dr J and Crazy Monkeys (don't worry we have cages) for dinner- please bring desert.
    Thanks!

    Lisa Griffin said...

    hahaha you're back and forth cracks me up but you are turning into quite the chef's assistant!
    www.indramaticfashion.com

    STYLE'N said...

    seriously? this is amazing. I like LIsa's comment-you are definitely chef's assistant! Or maybe you are a chef too but you're not saying. Love this.

    LyddieGal said...

    wow, making your own marshmallows. that is commitment, and those are gorgeous.
    (you are sending me some, right?)

    Chic on the Cheap

    Cool Gal said...

    Those look so good. Love the idea. Very cool!

    Marcie said...

    Oh my! This is my favorite food post of yours yet!! Amazing :)

    Can we be neighbors so I can stop by and have a snack? This looks like it would be so much fun to do together too.

    M

    Unknown said...

    i mean, these are so freaking cute. LOVE them

    katie said...

    these are adorable! I've always wanted to attempt to make marshmallows.

    BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

    I SO want to make these. Yum yum yum!

    Ashley/ MILK TEETHS said...

    okay this looks way legit. You even made the marshmallows?! I always thought marshmallows were the hardest thing to make but this post is giving me second thoughts. I should try this sometime soon :)

    xx
    MILK TEETHS

    S.I.F. said...

    OK, you are adorable, and I would like you to please be my personal chef... That would be amazing!!

    Yvette said...

    it looks so yummy! very creative! =D

    xoxo
    www.afashionhouseofcards.blogspot.com

    Martini said...

    Yum! What a wonderful idea! I'm gonna have to try it.

    kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

    but it's SO HARD to let go of the food coma. :P i'm in the exact. same. boat. minus the Jillian Michaels, and fancy, indulgent treats.

    actually i'm more in the "oh look orange crush is on sale for 88cents, and ooh my isn't it tasty with french vanilla ice cream?" boat.

    not. good.

    Lisa - respect the shoes said...

    I am drooling over your marshmallows! You are so lucky to have such a culinarily-gifted man!

    Signe said...

    Woot! These look amazing and such a great idea :)

    Chas said...

    Those look incredible! I definitely will have to try these!

    Johanna said...

    this does look incredibly impressive. chocolate makes life so much better. hope you feel better.

    Pilar said...

    this recipe sounds delish! and what a great idea to shape them as XoXo. love it!

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