S'More Please

I’d like to wish my dear friend Heidi the most wonderful of birthdays. She turns twenty four today. In an attempt to catch her off guard, we secretly gathered two dozen of her closest friends for a surprise birthday party in San Clemente this past Friday. Her boyfriend, Scott, has an amazing set up on the beach, and did an amazing job coordinating everyone. A far cry from our days in Santa Barbara, when asking my opinion on which Volcom sweatshirt Heids would like best constituted putting thought in to her gift. Nice work, Scooter.

The party went off without a hitch. Yummy Italian take out. Ice chests of beer. An intense beer pong tournament. And S’MORES.  I don’t know what it is, but I have been on a serious s’mores kick. With summer slipping away, I’ve envisioned a final farewell with a beachside s’more send off. With the help of pinterest, my mild craving has turned in to a full blown obsession that seriously cannot be satiated. And you guys, s’mores are on another level. No longer a simple toasted marshmallow and chocolate square sandwiched between graham crackers, the combinations for flavor sensations are endless. Next time, I’m substituting a Reeces peanut butter cup for chocolate. Or adding a slice of banana. And nutella. Yeah, nutella.

Sticking with the tried and true, we toasted marshmallows – or charred as was my case – made a mess, and devoured the sticky treats with the best of company. But Heidi still needed a cake with candles to blow out, and I was happy to lend my expertise. Layering milk chocolate brownies with marshmallow fluff and crumbled graham crackers, the s’mores inspired cake photographed beautifully. And was hard as rock. Apparently marshmallows aren’t the only thing I like to burn. But if you’re able to properly execute boxed brownies without turning them to brick, maybe you should try this cake. I mean. And if now you too have a serious craving for s’mores, you can check out my musings for a s’mores inspired bonfire here. I've been doing a lot of research. You're welcome.