How to make the perfect post barbecue S’mores this summer

The campfire treat is having a serious moment

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An all-American classic, S’mores are a recipe that has been passed down through the years and enjoyed around many-a-campfire.

The childhood favourite is traditionally made by roasting marshmallows over a fire and then sandwiching them between two biscuits with a generous helping of melted chocolate.

But, while they are universally enjoyed, everyone seems to have their own way of making them.

On Sunday, New York Magazine journalist Yashar Ali sparked a debate about how to make the perfect S’more after he shared a photograph on Twitter of 10 marshmallows which had been roasted for various amounts of time.

While Ali suggested skewers labelled five and six in the picture were the only acceptable marshmallows on the scale, many of his followers disagreed prompting the tweet to be liked more than 5,000 times and flooded with more than 2,000 comments.

Some people preferred their marshmallows almost completely untouched while others insisted that they were best when a little burned.

“Two is the only truly correct option!” one person commented.

Another added: “Easy. Six or seven.”

A third person wrote: “Nine all day every day. Burn that damn thing first.”

So, does it really matter how gooey your marshmallows are when it comes to creating the perfect S’more?

To settle the dispute, The Independent spoke to Diane Morrisey, a recipe developer and food stylist from Connecticut, to get her recipe for the tasty treat.

“Although here is no ‘right; way to make S’mores, there are a few steps that do seem to be consistent in the basic construction of this decadent classic,” Morrisey says.

Here’s how to make a traditional S’more, according to the food expert:

1) Take one large graham cracker – a sweet, cinnamon-flavoured cracker made with graham flour – and break it in half. This creates the top and bottom of the sandwich.

2) Unwrap chocolate bar. Layer the chocolate bar on top of one of the graham cracker halves.

3) Find a stick or skewer. The instrument should be sturdy and long enough to keep your hand safely away from the fire and not in the flame.

Now for the fun part!

4) Roast your marshmallow. The most critical factor about this step is having patience.

You want your marshmallow about six to eight inches above the fire and not in the flame. Preferably a slow and steady rotation above the heat is what gets you that delicately crisp and caramelised golden crisp shell and warm, molten centre.

The more time it takes, the gooier and more delicious the centre will be. Depending on the fire, it normally takes about four minutes to make a perfectly golden roasted mallow.

5) Take your roasted marshmallow (still on the stick) and lay it on the side of the graham cracker with the chocolate. Now take the other half of the graham cracker and cover the hot marshmallow, pressing down firmly enough to pull out the stick. The heat will help to melt the chocolate.

6) Enjoy all of that ooey gooeyness from this timeless goodie.