Vegetarian Friendly PB&J Smores

One thing that was hard to give up when I first became vegetarian was all of the candy I could no longer eat because of the gelatin used. This meant no more gummy bears, no more jello, no more fruit chews, and no more marshmallows, which was the worst part. Marshmallows were once one of my go-to treats when I had a sweet tooth. I loved making smores, eating the heads off the little peeps at Easter, and generally just snacking on them here and there when I wanted something sweet. They were pretty much always in my house - how could they not be vegetarian?? I was indignant! I didn't like it! But there was nothing I could do about it, and so I resigned myself to a life of mallow abstinence. That is, until I discovered that there actually are vegetarian marshmallows out there. Cue cheers! I was so happy! Of course I immediately ran to the store, bounding down the baking aisle with glee. I could almost taste the fluffy, gooey sweetness. But, to my dismay, they weren't there, and neither were they lining the shelves of any other grocery store in probably a five mile radius. My dreams were crushed, but at least I took solace in the fact that they existed and that some day I could order them online if I really wanted to.


Now, you may be feeling sorry for me, but this story turns around, because about 6 months ago when I was walking quickly through the baking aisle of my nearest grocery store I happened to pass by a giant display of marshmallows, and lo and behold! Right there in front of me sat the object of my desire. It was just like in the movies where I saw the package and continued walking for a second until my mind did a kind of internal "BOINK!" and I registered what they were. Yes, they were almost $6 for a package, but I didn't care!! I hadn't eaten a marshmallow in probably 6 years. Marshmallow fluff, yes, and meringue cookies, yes, but not an actual, fluffy, puffy marshmallow. My first instinct was to load them into my cart, and the second instinct was to pick up chocolate and graham crackers for a smores feast. The rest is history, and I've been experimenting with different flavor combos and types of cookies. These aren't your traditional smores, but they ain't bad either. I used chocolate covered cookies, peanut butter, and some tangy apricot jam. One thing is for sure, these don't last. Also, grab some napkins.

Getting Started

The nice thing about the cookies I used is that the chocolate is included, so you just need to buy the marshmallows and cookies. The chocolate is super good and melts really easily with the heat of the marshmallow, and there'rs even a little lip all the way around which makes it easy to fill with different things. I used peanut butter and apricot jam, but you can use whatever you like - different kinds of jelly, caramel, nutella, etc. These are really buyer specific though, and may not be available at a store near you, so the good old standby of graham crackers and chocolate squares will definitely still work, or you might try milk chocolate covered Digestive Biscuits if you're not in the states (or if you are, and can find them - they are soooo good! I've seen them at my local grocery store on occasion and I think World Market carries them). I was worried that the cookie wouldn't give the same kind of feel as the traditional graham cracker, but it does. It's light and crispy just like the real deal. Before getting started with the marshmallow, coat the chocolate side of your cookie with your desired filling.

So down to the actual toasting. I'm assuming most of you have toasted a marshmallow at some point in your life, so you probably don't need much guidance here. Just place one or two on a kabob skewer (or I think they make toasting rods if you're camping), and toast over a real or gas flame until you reach desired caramelization/burntness. I like mine pretty well charred, mainly because I'm super impatient, but slow and steady wins the race if you want a nice golden hue and melty center. You can also use a cooking torch if you have one. With all of these methods, just be careful not to burn yourself or start an unintentional fire. And don't leave the gas on! Okay now I feel like Smokey the Bear - you get the idea.

Once your marshmallows are toasted, sandwich them between two cookies, let it get a little melty and mingly, and then devour! Yumm!

Ingredients

1 box LU Petit Ecolier European Biscuits, Milk Chocolate
6-12 vegetarian marshmallows, such as Dandies All Natural Marshmallows
Peanut butter to taste
Jelly or jam to taste

You will also need a way to toast the marshmallows - fire pit, gas flame, etc. and a skewer appropriate for your toasting method

Serving Size - 6 Smores



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