What does every Girl Scout camp out have? S’mores!
I can’t see a campfire without wanting one. I smell the burning wood and hear the crackling of the flames, and my mouth starts to water. All I can think about is the gooey marshmallow mixing with milk chocolate, surrounded by two golden graham crackers. You can hear everyone talking about the proper color for the marshmallows — barely cooked, golden brown, or burnt — everyone is an expert! The fire is extremely important as well. The perfect combination of heat and flame will get you the wondrously cooked marshmallow.
Every time we make s’mores, the same excitement is there. You hear that snap as you break your graham cracker, trying to do it perfectly on the line and then doing the same with the chocolate. I have sacrificed many burnt marshmallows to the campfire, but you are left with a feeling of joy when you make that perfect one that is golden brown and all puffy. I love that feeling of the initial crunch of the graham crackers as you take the first bite and feeling the soft marshmallow and the sweet, melting chocolate and rushing for the napkins as marshmallow gets all over your face. I’m sure you all have been caught sneaking a marshmallow into your mouth before you had time to cook it — I know I have!
Did you know that the first known s’mores recipe was published in the Girl Scouts magazine, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts, in 1927? With s’mores being linked so closely to Girl Scouts, we even launched our own s’more Girl Scout Cookie a couple years ago to give you that same yummy taste without the campfire.
I hope you have memories like this with your Girl Scout troop — creating something 100% handmade by you, surrounded by nature and friends. I’m sure you can remember hearing the fire crackling and moving out of the way of the smoke as the wind blows, laughing and singing camp songs with friends while all that sugar kicks in, and maybe even telling a scary story or two.
To celebrate National S’mores Day, I would like to invite you to enjoy this ooey-gooey treat once again with your Girl Scout friends! We have the first recipe and the cookies, but we would also love to have our names as the holder of the Guinness World Records for the most s’mores made simultaneously and we would love for you to join us! Please visit smorerecord.com and register to attend on August 10th at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood to attempt to break the record. We are looking for 1,200 participants and 120 non-Girl Scout volunteers, so please pass this on to your friends and families. I am looking forward to sharing a s’more with you on the 10th!
Special thanks to Madeleine for this guest post! Madeleine is a Girl Scout Cadette and has been a Girl Scout in Middle Tennessee for nine years. She recently returned from a Girl Scout Destination trip in Costa Rica and loves the opportunities provided by Girl Scouts.