Maya Chocolates - S'mores 65% Dark Chocolate Marshmallow and GF Graham Cracker (bar) - Mar. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Maya Chocolates
S'mores - 65% Dark Chocolate Marshmallow and GF Graham Cracker (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.2 oz. (62.4 g.) in total bar
Calories: 341 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $4.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Outdoors Theme. It's still too cold for a campfire to make old fashioned (original version) of s'mores; fortunately, this chocolate bar rendition of this childhood/camping favorite was on hand.

Today's S'mores Chocolate (bar) was from Maya Chocolates (Pinole, CA).

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate, faint vanilla icing, and very faint nut/seed cookie.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate that broke with a snap, topped with soft, fluffy marshmallows, crunchy roasted almonds and light crumbly-crunchy graham cracker pieces.

Flavor notes included: authentic, rich and sweet dark chocolate--accented with vanilla, marshmallow and graham cracker flavors and textures.

This was a fun and slightly addicting bar. I appreciated the dark chocolate; and I found myself eating more to get to the marshmallows and larger sections of (gluten free) graham cracker--chasing childhood memories all the way. The sprinkling of roasted almond pieces were a nice addition, and complemented/balanced (the sweetness of) the classic s'mores flavor trio. 

Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Butter (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Marshmallow, Ghram (sic) Cracker, Roasted Almonds

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and other tree nuts."

Pamela's Products - Chocolate Grahams; s'mores - Oct. 17, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pamela's Products, Inc.
Chocolate Grahams - Gluten-Free Graham Style Crackers
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 7.5 oz. (212.6 g.) total box
Calories: 180 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $N/A - gift (Thank you John)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and the Great Outdoors Theme Week.

S'mores are arguably our favorite outdoor chocolate treat in the U.S.A. A s'more is a graham cracker sandwich filled with a warm, gooey (and occasionally charred) campfire-roasted marshmallow and a square of warm, melting chocolate.

I find s'mores almost too sweet now, but we fantasized about them as young, campfire smoke-scented campers.

For this reason, I was happy to receive a gift of a box of gluten-free Chocolate Grahams graham style crackers from Pamela's Products, Inc. (Ukiah, CA), that allowed me to re-create a sweet campfire memory. These chocolate grahams, glistened with sugar crystals, and smelled and tasted like "real" graham crackers.

First I made an "grown-up"* version of a s'more—an open-faced version with single origin dark chocolate square, a toasted marshmallow, and toasted chopped almonds (that helped balance the high sugar level). My original overly ambitious plan was to make the marshmallows from scratch (using a mallow plant/flowers). Maybe next time.

The open-faced s'more was good, but required a plate and fork. It resulted in fingers covered with melted chocolate. I was reminded why s'mores are eaten sandwich-style. Adding another graham on top reduced the chocolatey fingers "problem."

*Grown-up (or indoor) versions of something can be boring or pretentious. I could have poured brandy on this s'more and lit it on fire, but a flambeed s'more seemed over the top—even for a chocolate mad scientist, and a bit dangerous if you're near dry grass. 

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

World Market - S'Mores Cocoa Mix - June 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

World Market/Cost Plus, Inc.
S'Mores Cocoa Mix
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total packet
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 packet
Cost: $ unknown - lost info
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, Inc. store

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate Tea and Beverage Theme Weeks.

What are S'Mores?
S'mores are a popular campfire dessert treat, often tinged with childhood memories that date back to the late 1920s (possibly earlier). I recall assembling S'mores on picnic tables or atop an unsteady plate on my lap in lantern-lit darkness. A graham cracker was topped with a piece of chocolate bar, a gooey hot, freshly campfire-roasted marshmallow (carefully pried off a stick), then topped with another graham cracker, to be eaten sandwich style.

These were so good, it was explained to me, that you'll doubtless want "some more," thus the name s'more.

I tried a gluten-free version of a s'more with fancy dark milk chocolate a few years ago, and it was too sweet for me. But, roasting marshmallows and putting these little desserts together with friends around a campfire was great fun.

S'Mores Inspired Cocoa 
Long ago, I purchased today's cheery red packet of S'Mores Cocoa Mix from a World Market/Cost Plus store, intending to use it for a theme week around s'mores or hot cocoa. But, that week never arrived, and this packet sat in my chocolate vault. Until now.

It tasted like packaged hot cocoa, with some subtle flavor additions. I think adding marshmallows on top, and serving with a side of graham crackers might create a more authentic flavor match, but good for them for trying to include all this in a mix.

S'Mores Inspired Tea
In the spirit of Chocolate Tea and Beverage Week, I concocted a "tea" version of this hot cocoa mix that contained cocoa/chocolate, vanilla, mallow flowers, and coconut palm sugar. I must admit I feel more comfortable with beverages with fresh, natural flavors (although the word "natural" seems to have drifted away from its original meaning when it comes to food additives over the years). When I added a tiny splash of milk and took a sip...I was a little surprised that the tea tasted not too different than the cocoa mix. The mallow plant/flower gave this hot tea a bit of marshmallow texture which was fun too. Add a drop of smoky campfire, and I'm there.

ChocolateBet: July 6, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Kraft Foods
Jell-O S'more
Good
Weight: 3.28 oz. (93 g.) / 19.7 oz. (558 g.) total package of 6 snacks
Calories: 110 calories in one snack serving
Cost: $3.99 total package of 6
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week.

After finishing up another outdoor meal, and a small mixed bowl of Lay's Carolina Barbeque potato chips and Lay's BLT (Bacon Lettuce Tomato) chips, I tried another version of s'mores -- a Jello S'more snack pudding cup.

While I can't be sure these were gluten free, this Jell-O version of the toasted marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker snack did not list any wheat ingredients, or contain any actual graham crackers or cookie bits. It was a pudding parfait that had the smooth chocolate pudding at the bottom and a lighter (marshmallow?) layer on the top.

ChocolateBet: July 2, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory
ChocoHOGlic Bacon Bar
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.4 g.) total bar
Calories: 233 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A gift - thank you Jeff
Purchased from: N/A gift

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week.

Our ancestors spent time cooking outdoors, because they had to in many cases. In today's hectic world, it's a major accomplishment, and privilege, to have time to fire up a BBQ and dine in the backyard. Life is funny that way.

I had every intention of eating my barbeque meal in the yard today. However, phone calls got in the way, and I had to improvise. My barbequed mango and habanero sausage was microwaved instead, and my toasted marshmallows for s'mores were done over a stove burner in the kitchen.

I added some BBQ potato chips, carrot sticks and a bowl of fresh "strawberry cherries," and I had a picnic-worthy summer meal. (I finally escaped into the backyard for some iced tea later.)

Today's chocolate choice was a ChocoHOGlic Bacon Bar from Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory (Carson City, NV). Thank you Jeff for this bar. On the bar label, a clever pig looks at us from a cauldron-like hot tub of chocolate. I ate half of this bar plain, and the other half was part of a s'more sandwich made with the stove-toasted marshmallows mentioned above, and gluten-free, vanilla graham cookies (from Enjoy Life).

The bacon pieces in this bar were good; however, the milk chocolate was very sweet. I could taste the sugar, but not the chocolate.

I tried a dark chocolate version of this s'more with some leftover pieces from a (72% cacao) bar, and enjoyed this darker, less sweet version. Now, having had two s'mores before 12 Noon, I'll probably be ready for a backyard siesta in a few hours.