To this day, it’s still unclear who first thought up the idea to sandwich a molten marshmallow between two graham crackers, but most people say the earliest s’more recipe comes from the Girl Scouts handbook of 1927.
The concept is quite simple: the hot, gooey marshmallow melts the chocolate ever so slightly while the salty, crunchy graham crackers provide the perfect finger saving vessel. It’s the perfect camp fire treat made better by only one thing: homemade marshmallows.
Pulling off homemade marshmallows is easier than you think. Besides, when you make them yourself, not only do you know what’s in them — but you can add any number of seasonal flavours to the mix!
In June, we love adding strawberries to the mix. In January — out comes the Icewine. There’s so many delicious things you can do with homemade marshmallows — including, our favorite: The Perfect S’more.
Originally, marshmallows had marshmallow root in them — hence their namesake. Funny enough, they used to be good for you and were often used as a remedy for sore throats. Confectioners in early 19th century France pioneered the innovation of whipping up the marshmallow sap and sweetening it. The process was super difficult though, and soon the marshmallow root was left behind in favour of egg whites or gelatin. When it came over to North America, vanilla was scarce. People would make these sweet treats with honey and flavour them with rosewater.
Whatever the history, today, marshmallows are a camping main stay. Whether we’re ending our cook outs with a s’more or dropping one them into hot chocolate, these sweet little treats are synonymous with camping.
