it's that time of year again.. s'more EVERYTHING! remember last years caramel s'more pie?! this year i am keeping things more traditional but taking it to a whole new level: homemade graham crackers AND homemade bourbon salted caramel. this blog post features two similar but different s'mores. one for the adults (which includes a little bourbon + toasted coconut) & one for the kids! i can't even describe how much better homemade graham crackers taste! they do take a little bit of effort to make, but it will pay off in the end.

i finished off each s'more with one of ghirardelli's chocolate SQUARES. they come in all sorts of flavours & fillings like dark chocolate mint, dark chocolate rasepberry & dark chocolate bourbon caramel. they are seriously the perfect shape for campfire s'mores & allow for a gooey, sweet center. for the bourbon s'more i used ghirardelli's new dark chocolate bourbon caramel & it has quite the bourbon kick! for the kids i used ghirardelli's classic milk chocolate caramel square. both of these squares were my inspiration for the two recipes!

p.s. @thefeedfeed is running a contest this month for the ultimate s'more recipe using ghirardelli's SQUARES. i can't wait to see what you make! the possibilities are endless.

ingredients

for the bourbon salted caramel

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon sea salt

for the salted caramel

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt

for the graham crackers

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

for the bourbon caramel banana s'mores

graham crackers (recipe above)
marshmallows
bourbon salted caramel (recipe above)
toasted coconut chips
sliced banana
ghirardelli's dark chocolate bourbon caramel squares

for the caramel banana s'mores

graham crackers (recipe above)
marshmallows
salted caramel (recipe above)
sliced banana
ghirardelli's milk chocolate caramel square

directions

for the bourbon salted caramel: in a saucepot add the sugar and water over medium high heat. do NOT stir while bringing mixture to a boil. continue to boil until the sugar turns a deep amber colour (approximately 5 minutes). be sure not to burn the caramel, it will go from a deep amber to burnt VERY quickly. remove from heat and immediately whisk in the heavy cream, butter, bourbon & sea salt. cool to room temperature before serving. store in the fridge covered for up to two weeks.
for the salted caramel: in a saucepot add the sugar and water over medium high heat. do NOT stir while bringing mixture to a boil. continue to boil until the sugar turns a deep amber colour (approximately 5 minutes). be sure not to burn the caramel, it will go from a deep amber to burnt VERY quickly. remove from heat and immediately whisk in the heavy cream, butter, vanilla & sea salt. cool to room temperature before serving. store in the fridge covered for up to two weeks.
for the graham crackers: in the bowl of a standmixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, sugar & honey. add in the milk, vanilla & molasses until incorporated. sift in the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, cinnamon & baking soda. mix until dough comes together. shape into a disk & refridgerate for two hours. when ready to roll out, heavily flour the surface & roll to 1/4 inch thick. cut into desired square or rectangular shape & poke holes using a fork. bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. let cool before serving.
for the bourbon caramel banana s'mores: layer graham cracker with toasted marshmallow, drizzle with bourbon salted caramel, sprinkle with toasted coconut chips, layer sliced banana & finished off with ghirardelli's dark chocolate bourbon caramel square. eat open faced or sandwiched together with an additional graham cracker.
for the caramel banana s'mores:layer graham cracker with toasted marshmallow, drizzle with salted caramel, layer sliced banana & finished off with ghirardelli's milk chocolate caramel square. eat open faced or sandwiched together with an additional graham cracker.