The most popular campfire treat is recognized each year on August 10th during National S’Mores Day. This delicious, gooey treat is loved by millions across the United States.
S’mores consists of a roasted marshmallow with a layer of chocolate bar sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker.
The origin of this tasty snack is credited to the entrepreneur Alec Barnum. However, the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the 1927 publication of Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Even though the Girl Scouts were not the first ones to make s’mores, Girl Scout groups describe them in their reports as early as 1925. Earlier recipes used the name “Some Mores”. It is unclear when the name was shortened to “S’mores”.
Today there are many variations on the original s’more. Try spreading peanut butter on the graham crackers before adding the other ingredients. Substitute peanut butter cups in place of the chocolate bar. Replace the graham crackers with fudge-dipped cookies.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Here is a S’more Bar recipe for you to make, enjoy and share with your friends and family. How many different ways can you make a s’more? Use #NationalSmoresDay to post on social media.
Little Known Facts from RealSimple.com
The Merriam-Webster dictionary, which defines s’mores as “a dessert consisting usually of toasted marshmallow and pieces of chocolate bar sandwiched between two graham crackers,” suggests the first known use of the word was in 1974.
Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham invented the graham cracker in 1829 in Bound Brook, New Jersey. The original graham cracker was a health food recommended as part of a diet intended to help suppress sexual desire, which Graham believed to be unhealthy.
According to The S’mores Cookbook, Americans buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows every year. It’s estimated that, during the summer, approximately 50 percent of marshmallows sold are roasted for s’mores.
According to a release from The Hershey Company, the company produces more than 373 million milk chocolate bars each year, enough to make 746 million s’mores.
