Matyas roasts marshmallows as host Sarah Copeland looks on, as seen on Every Day is Saturday, Season 2.
Recipe courtesy of Sarah Copeland

Homemade Cinnamon Grahams and Salted Chocolate Ganache S'mores

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr (includes cooling time)
  • Active: 40 min
  • Yield: 16 s'mores
Even though graham crackers and s'mores are completely American, my Hungarian-American kids love them, and they're always on our mind after goulash, since we usually make goulash over a live fire. Andras' mom bakes a lot with graham flour, since many Hungarian pastries are more rustic—so we've learned to love the sweet, earthy flavor. If you don't have it you can use a local or freshly-ground whole-wheat flour, which has the earthy graham-forward flavor. The traditional sweetness comes from honey and a touch of molasses, which give these a familiar flavor (even the dough tastes great!). If you want a lighter "honey" graham style, skip the molasses. The beautiful thing about homemade grahams is you can make them in any shape you want—rectangles with scored quarters (like boxed grahams), squares or even rounds.Whenever I make s'mores, I set the chocolate squares onto the grahams and let it melt by the fire for a long time before I stack with my blistered marshmallow. The melt factor helps it deliver far better on satisfaction. But it's far easier to make a quick ganache, with the ratio slightly skewed in favor of the chocolate, to make a just-spreadable paste for homemade grahams. Then no matter what kind of marshmallows I use, we get a totally dreamy, melty result.

Ingredients

Homemade Cinnamon Grahams (Graham Crackers):

Cinnamon Sugar:

Serving:

Salted Chocolate Ganache:

Directions

  1. For the homemade cinnamon grahams (graham crackers): Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, heavy cream, honey and molasses if using. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir to make a moist dough. Divide in half, press into 2 squares (roughly 6-by-5-inches each), wrap tightly in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
  3. Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour. Working with 1 portion at a time, roll each square into a larger 10- to 11-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick, turning the dough frequently to ensure it isn't sticking and taking care to keep it in a rough rectangular shape. (Use a pastry scraper and a light dusting of flour when it sticks.) Repeat with the remaining dough.
  4. Use a sharp knife or a pastry cutter to cut each square of dough into 16 squares, roughly 2 1/2-by-2 1/2-inches, trimming the edges as needed. Use a fork to mark each a few times. Brush with the beaten egg.
  5. For the cinnamon sugar: Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle lightly over each graham.
  6. Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until the grahams are deeper brown around the edges, 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack and serve the day they are baked, or store, well-wrapped, for up to 3 days. Freeze any additional grahams for up to 2 weeks.
  7. To serve: Use a little knife or a spoon to spread some Salted Chocolate Ganache on a graham, then top with a toasted marshmallow and another graham.

Salted Chocolate Ganache:

  1. Heat the cream in a small pot until simmering. Place the chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl and pour the simmered cream over the top. Let stand for 2 minutes before whisking until a smooth paste. Pour into a small pot or jar and sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. Chill until ready to use (it should be thick but still easy to spread with an offset spatula or a spoon). Makes 3/4 cup.