I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
Sorry, I made that sound way more important than it is, but August 10th is national s’mores day. Actually scratch that, this is very important! I’m posting this recipe now so you have 10 whole days to fill with s’mores before the big day, and I hope these cookies make it on your list.
And let me just say as far as s’mores desserts go, this is one of the best. I LOVE THESE COOKIES. I know I always say that, it’s kinda my job to hype these up so people will make them, but they’re actually really good!
These are gooey, toasty, chocolatey, and very reminiscent of that classic campfire snack. I have made these so many times to get them just right, and people just don’t get sick of ’em!
Now, I’ve got to put this out there. I’m not a huge fan of graham crackers. They’ve just never really been my thing. I mean I’ll eat them from time to time, but I don’t really like them in baked goods. I’m not a huge fan of graham cracker crust and such you know? But I do love a good s’more, and it’s probably my favorite way of eating graham crackers. And maybe this is just me being picky but I also don’t like marshmallows very much unless they’re toasted. Something about the caramelized sugar is just, chefs kiss.
Oooo that brings me to a very important question: how do you toast a marshmallow for s’mores? This question can get pretty intense, apparently certain people have very passionate feelings about marshmallows. I personally like them golden, with black spots and patches. I like lil char, what can I say? But are you a just barely toasted kind of person, or scorched black?
Describe These Cookies to Me
Taste: As you may have guessed, these s’mores taste like, well, s’mores. They don’t taste exactly the same, but they take the concept and turn it into one darn good cookie. To start off, we’ve got a fudgy and rich chocolate cookie, which is rolled in crushed up toasty graham crackers. Once baked, we pipe a generous blob of marshmallow fluff right on top. And it wouldn’t truly be a s’more cookie if we didn’t toast up that marshmallow with a kitchen torch.
Texture: Not only are the flavors here s’more reminiscent, but so is the texture. The outside has a slight crunch from the graham crackers, while the inside is soft and gooey. You absolutely HAVE to eat these cookies warm. They will be the most crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. A warm one of these with a glass of milk is perfection.
Ease: This is a relatively simple recipe. The cookie dough only takes a minute to whip up, and it’s a very familiar structure made with kitchen staples. For shaping it’s pretty simple: roll the dough into balls, roll those in graham cracker crumbs, and press a thumbprint into the top. Then just bake ‘em up and pipe in some marshmallow fluff. For a little extra pizza, I like to torch the marshmallow for that toasty flavor, and gooey texture.
How to get S’more Flavor
Now this is something I had to think about for a little while. I wasn’t sure what I wanted my hero flavor to be. My first thought was to have a graham cracker cookie base, and top it with marshmallow and melted chocolate. Eventually, I decided that the cookie would be too crowded with both chocolate and marshmallow on top. I also decided that chocolate would make a better “main character” flavor. So I landed on this: a rich dark chocolate cookie, rolled in toasty graham cracker crumbs, and topped with ooey gooey marshmallow.
The Cookie
Alright let’s talk about this chocolate cookie. It’s pretty familiar and straightforward. Cream butter with sugar, add eggs and vanilla, throw in some flour and cocoa powder with some other stuff, and that’s pretty much it. Now you can turn them into thumbprints! I guess I haven’t really talked about what a thumbprint cookie is exactly, but it’s pretty much what it sounds like. A regular old cookie with a crater in it to fill with stuff. Usually that stuff is jam, but we are of course shaking it up a little here.
The Fillings and Toppings
To make these even more s’mores like, these chocolate cookies get rolled up in graham cracker crumbs for an added crunch and overall tastiness. You know how you roll sparkle cookies in sugar before you bake them? This is the same but with graham crackers. Now you can press in that thumbprint shape. Then bake ’em up and let ’em cool for about 10-ish minutes. You want to make sure the cookies are still warm when you add the marshmallow fluff on top. Of course, I’m whipping out the blow torch for this one. It’s just so fun! And a toasty marshmallow is always better than a plain one. And to add that little extra pizzaz, I sprinkle these with some more graham cracker crumbs.
Tips and Tricks for Success
Grind up the graham crackers first: Before you start making the dough, I recommend dealing with the graham cracker crumbs. It’s just nice to have them ready to use whenever you need them. I find a food processor works best to get those crumbs nice and fine. But if you don’t have one (or don’t feel like getting another dish dirty), you can put the crackers in a ziplock bag and smash them with a rolling pin. This doesn’t work quite as well, but it’s still a great option.
Use a measuring spoon to shape the cookies: These are called “thumbprint
cookies” implying you use your thumb to get the shape. Although that works. I find using a teaspoon gets a nice deep and round crater. This leaves plenty of room for the marshmallow.
Chill the shaped cookies: Some cookie recipes are no chill, others tell you to chill the dough, and some say to chill the shaped cookies. All recipes are different, so the chilling process will vary. For these cookies, it’s best to chill them once shaped. This helps maintain shape in the oven.
Re-shape the cookies once baked: Right after the cookies come out of the oven, make sure to re-shape those thumbprints. They will puff up in the oven and kind of loose shape, so re-indenting them with a measuring spoon while they are still soft and malleable is crucial.
Pipe the marshmallow: Now we are dealing with marshmallow fluff. No matter how you go about it, it’s gonna be sticky and messy. But I have found the most tidy way of doing this is piping it on. I just use a big round piping tip, and pipe a blob on top.
EAT WARM: This is the most important tip. These are honestly an entirely different cookie when they are warm. The inside will be gooey and fudgy while the outside will be crispy. Though these still taste great cooled down, they taste the most like a s’more when they are warm.
Also, as these age the marshmallow sort of slides off of the cookie, so these only last about 3 days. But this will not be a problem, because I guarantee these cookies won’t last a day they’re so good!
S’mores Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Pulse the graham cracker sheets in a food processor until a fine crumb forms, similar to dry sand. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the milk and beat again on low speed until combined. The dough will be thick and a little sticky.
- Roll the dough into roughly 1 Tablespoon sized balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in the graham cracker crumbs until completely coated. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Using the rounded back of a teaspoon, press a crater into the center of the cookie. Let the shaped cookies chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Bake the chilled cookies for 12-14 minutes. They will still look soft, and the thumbprints may have lost their shape. Once you remove them from the oven, immediately use the back of a teaspoon to re-indent the shape. Be careful because if you press to hard the cookies may crack. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before adding the marshmallow.
- Scoop the marshmallow fluff into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (I use Wilton 1A). Pipe a circle of marshmallow into the slightly cooled thumbprints. Using a kitchen torch, toast the top of the marshmallow ( this will happen within a few seconds so be careful). Sprinkle more graham cracker crumbs on top and ENJOY IMMEDIATELY. These are at there very best warm
- Cookies will stay fresh sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The marshmallow may slide off, so try and keep them in an even layer and don't stack them.