Valentine’s Day S’mores
Today I’m going to show you how to make cute heart shaped Valentine’s Day S’mores.
updated post from 2012
HOW TO MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY S’MORES
Putting a Valentine’s Day twist on summer’s favorite campfire treat is super easy. Use homemade marshmallows and tasty graham crackers. I’ve got both recipes in the recipe card so you can make these, too.
HOMEMADE GRAHAM CRACKERS
I love homemade graham crackers, these cookies are so tasty. You can enjoy them plain, dipped/decorated with chocolate or make festive s’mores treats sandwiches.
In the past I’ve use these popular honey-cinnamon cookies to make :
- Ice Cream Cone Graham Crackers
- Valentine’s Day Cookie Sticks
- And they can also be used to make adorable Santa S’mores Hat Cookie Stirrers.
To make heart cut outs I used 2 inch heart cookie cutter and a small 3/4 inch heart cutter to cut out the center. Follow my recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the post to make heart graham crackers.
HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS
Marshmallows are really fun to make from scratch and so much better than the store bought kind. Whenever I can I enjoy making seasonal marshmallows like these :
Prepare vanilla marshmallows following the recipe in the recipe card below. Then with a heart cookie cutter (use the same cutter you used to cut out heart graham crackers) cut out heart shaped marshmallows (step1). I find that greasing the cutting edge of metal cutter really helps with cutting through a thick layer of marshmallow slab. You can use a non-stick spray, little bit of oil or butter to grease the cutter.
In a bowl toss marshmallows in sugar/starch mixture. Place coated marshmallows into a fine mesh sieve and shake off the excess (step2).
Marshmallows can be made ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks.
MAKE HEART S’MORES SANDWICHES
All you need is some dark chocolate to make a s’more sandwich.
In a heat proof bowl and over the pot with simmering water melt the chocolate (use Ghirardelli Dipping Wafers or use tempered chocolate). Spoon or pipe melted chocolate onto the heart graham crackers (step1). Place heart marshmallow onto bottom cookie (step2).
Press top heart graham cracker with a heart cut-out onto the heart marshmallow.
Allow chocolate to set for 10 minutes. Then dip half of the s’mores heart sandwich in melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate and place freshly dipped cookie sandwich onto a wax paper and let it harden.
STORAGE
Store Valentine’s Day S’mores in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 10 days.
HOMEMADE S’MORES
Serving Suggestion : microwave for 5-10 seconds and enjoy.
VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT
Homemade diy heart s’mores are prefect for gift giving. Nest them in a pretty box or a pretty poly bag. They make for adorable Valentine’s Day gift, teacher’s gift or wedding/engagement favor.
TO MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY S’MORES YOU NEED
- RECIPES – in the recipe card
- TOOLS
- Get all the tools you need in my Amazon Shop
- Heart Cookie Cutters – 2 inch and 3/4 inch heart cutters
- Cookie Baking Sheets – to bake the cookies
- 9×13 inch baking pan – to make marshmallows
MORE VALENTINE’S DAY RECIPES :
- Bee Mine Cake Roll
- Roasted Heart Shaped Potatoes
- Box of Chocolate Cake for Valentine’s Day
- Geeky Cookies for Valentine’s Day with Free printable tags
Valentine’s Day Heart S’mores
Ingredients
VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS
- 3 1/2 envelopes of unflavored Knox granulated gelatin (one envelope is 7grams/2tsp and 1/2tsp gelatin, recipe uses total of 8tsp and 3/4tsp)
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup (or use 1/3 cup invert syrup)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
Egg White – Optional
- 2 tsp meringue powder
- 2 tbsp warm water
Coating Mixture
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
HEART GRAHAM CRACKERS
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (237grams)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (45grams)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (75grams)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes (115grams)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup honey (65grams)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
S'MORES SANDWICH
- 10 oz dark chocolate – use Ghirardelli Dipping Wafers or Tempered Chocolate
Instructions
VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS
Prepare Baking Pan
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 13×9 inch rectangular baking pan. You can also use a non- stick spray or soft butter or even little bit of oil. Set aside.
Gelatin
- Pour cold water(1/2cup) into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle gelatin(3 1/2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin, 8 3/4tsp) over 1/2 cup of cold water and let it stand to soften/bloom.
Sugar Syrup
- In a 3-quart heavy, non-reactive saucepan combine granulated sugar(2cups), corn syrup(1/2cup, or use 1/3cup invert syrup-recipe in the notes), cold water(1/2cup) and salt(1/4tsp). Heat the mixture on low to medium heat. Cover the pot for 4-5 minutes and cook until sugar is dissolved.
- After all of the sugar is dissolved increase the temperature to medium and bring mixture to boil. DON'T STIR after this point. You may notice sugar particles sticking to the sides of the pan. Take a pastry brush dip in the water and wash the sugar down with a pastry brush. Or alternatively cover the pan with a lid and let the syrup cook for 2-3 minutes. Condensation will wash down the sides of the pan clean. Attach the candy thermometer inside of the pan. If you notice any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan while sugar syrup is cooking be sure to wash them down with a pastry brush dipped in water.
- Once sugar syrup reaches 240F immediately remove pot from the heat. Pour hot sugar syrup down the sides of the bowl into the bloomed gelatin. Mixture will foam up. Stir it with a wooden spoon until gelatin is completely dissolved. About 60 seconds.
- Fit a mixer with a wire attachment. Start beating hot sugar syrup on medium speed. Be careful not to touch the bowl at this stage. It will be hot. Once mixture starts to turn opaque increase speed to high. Beat until thick and tripled in volume. Then beat in Vanilla Extract. If desired add gel food coloring.Tip : It is important not to let the marshmallow mixture beat till cold. It will start to set up pretty quickly then. Look for a thick ribbon stage and then turn off the mixer and pour it into a prepared pan.
Egg Whites -Optional
- I often add egg whites to my marshmallows. They make marshmallows a bit fluffier. In a small dish combine meringue powder/dry egg whites (2tsp) and warm water (2tbsp). Beat with a small hand held whisk till soft peaks are formed.Once the bowl with marshmallow mixture is is lukewarm to the touch on the outside and marshmallow mixture is thick, white and tripled in volume gradually beat in soft peak egg whites and extracts. If desired add gel food coloring at this point. It is important not to let the marshmallow mixture beat till cold. It will start to set up pretty quickly. Look for a ribbon stage and then turn off the mixer and pour mixture into a prepared pan.
Fill the Baking Pan
- Pour all of the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Evenly spread it with a greased spatula. Let marshmallows set for 5-6 hours, and up to overnight.
Coating Mixture
- In a bowl combine powdered sugar (1/4cup) and corn starch (1/4cup). Set aside.
Cut Out Heart Marshmallows
- Dust a large cutting board with a coating sugar/starch mixture. Loosen the edges of marshmallow slab and invert set marshmallow slab onto a sugar/starch dusted surface. Generously dust the top of the marshmallow slab as well. Spray a metal heart cookie cutter with a non-stick spray. Cut out as many hearts as possible. You might need to spray the cutter with a non-stick spray few times in the process. Alternatively use oil or soft butter to grease the cutter. Use the same size cutter you used to cut out graham crackers.
Coat Marshmallows
- Coat heart cut out marshmallows with powdered sugar/corn starch mixture. Then place coated marshmallows into a fine mesh sieve. Shake it to remove residue from the marshmallow cubes.
Storage
- Layer marshmallows into an airtight container. Place a piece of parchment between layers. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks.
GRAHAM CRACKERS
- You can make graham crackers by hand or by a food processor.In a medium bowl (or use a food processor*)combine Whole wheat pastry flour ( 1 3/4cup), All purpose flour (1/3cup), brown sugar (1/3 cup, packed), baking powder (3/4tsp), baking soda (1/2tsp), cinnamon (1tsand salt (1/2tsp). *Pulse to combine.
- Add chilled butter cut up into cubes(8tbsp/1stick) and work the dough with your hands until it resembles cornmeal, set aside. *If using food processor pulse until it resembles cornmeal.
- In a small bowl combine together milk (2tbsp), orange juice (1tbsp), honey (1/4cup), Vanilla extract (1tsp).
- Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir all ingredients together with a wooden spoon then using your hands form the dough into ball, make a disk, wrap it in a plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.*If using a food processor gradually pour liquid into the dry ingredients, while pulsing, until mixture is thoroughly moisten and when pressed with your fingers it holds together. Don't over mix it.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper or use a Dough EZ Rolling System. Dust the work surface lightly with flour. It’s okay to roll it out thinly about 1/8 inch.
- Cut out shapes with a heart cookie cutter ( I used a 2 inch heart cutter). Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Use a fork to poke holes into the cookies. Or if you have a small decorating comb like I have use it instead.
- Re-roll scraps.
- Before you place second baking sheet into the oven, cut out small hearts from the cookies using a small about 3/4 inch heart cutter. You should have an equal amount of heart graham crackers with and without a heart cut out.
- Bake at 350F for 12 -14 minutes, or until golden brown, watch carefully so they don’t burn. Thicker cookies need more baking time, thinner cookie will be done faster.
- Let the cookies cool completely.
HEART S'MORES SANDWICH
- Melt chocolate.Sandwich heart marshmallows between 2 heart graham crackers. Use melted chocolate to glue marshmallows onto the graham crackers. Then dip half of the heart s'mores into chocolate. Place freshly dipped s'mores onto a wax paper and let the chocolate harden before storing s'mores in an airtight container.
Notes
DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR INVERT SUGAR SYRUP?
Yes, here is Invert Sugar Syrup Recipe.CAN I USE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR INSTEAD OF WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR?
Yes you can, however I prefer to use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. I find it less bitter than whole wheat flour.WHY DO YOU USE ORANGE JUICE?
Orange juice helps to cut down on the bitterness of whole wheat flours.CAN I USE HOMEMADE GRAHAM CRACKERS TO MAKE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST FOR A PIE?
Sure, follow your favorite recipe for graham cracker crust using baked homemade graham crackers.This post was originally published on January 18th, 2012. On January 14th, 2020 I updated this post with new step by step photos and written text.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.
I made these over the weekend, and they came out perfectly. Delicious, pretty, and so much fun to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Shannon, that is awesome, I’m so glad you like them.
Hi, there! I’m making these this weekend. Can the dough be refrigerated overnight?
Hi Shannon,
yes you can refrigerate overnight 🙂
I made those for my kids and to pass out for Valentines Day treats. I doubled the recipe so it was a lot of work but totally worth it. They were sooooo good and a huge hit with the kids and their friends! Thank you!
Hi Allison,
I’m so glad they turned out great and kids loved them.Thank you for the pictures, too.
Is it lemon juice or orange juice? It says lemon in the recipe list and orange in the instructions.
My apologies, it’s an orange juice. I forgot to fix that in the recipe. Thank you for reminding me.
Thank you! I got the marshmallows made and will make the cookies for my kids for Valentines Day! Can’t wait to see how they turn out!
I can’t wait to see them. If you are on instagram, don’t forget to tag me. I’d looove to see them. Thank you and Happy Baking.
Just tagged you in Instagram! Not as pretty as yours but kids are excited to share with their friends! Thank you! Can’t wait to try one!
Thank you for the pictures Allison.
Yum! They have such a great taste! Totally worth all the work! Kids and their friends were wild over them!
I’m so glad you like them Allison!
Would love to see tutorial video on marshmallows for this recipe.
Hi Gary,
I hope to make it soon!