It’s nearly midnight on the Sunday after the Oscars, and I’m writing this post and watching The Danish Girl. Naturally I also have plans for Room, The Revenant (yay Leo!), Spotlight, and Bridge of Spies. But in the mean time, I want to talk about one thing and one thing in particular: Happy Leap Day!!!! Last weeks Eclair adventure with Alana has somehow got Hawaii on my mind for the days following. It must have been the talk of guava, pineapple, the scent of freshly cut lilikoi. Maybe it was getting to watch The Eddie take place at Waimea Bay, or the 16 spam musubi we made. Whatever it was, home has been on my mind just a little more than usual.
I know s’mores are not something specific to Hawaii, and probably screams “campfire up in the woods” instead, but everything about them reminds me of a slew of certain childhood memories. They’re small moments, but ones I always come back to when I bite into a heap of chocolatey, marshmallowy, graham crackery perfection.
Once, in the 7th grade, our entire class took a trip up to the North Shore for a week of bonding exercises, playing on the beach, and sleeping in dorms near the ocean. Tough life, amiright? On one of the nights, after dinner we walked down to the beach. There was a bonfire, and we nibbled on s’mores while our Kumu taught us about the constellations. I stared up at the night sky and thought about how big the world beyond our little island is and how far away it all felt. Sometimes I’m reminded of being a Girl Scout. During a camping trip we toasted marshmallows and enjoyed them between chocolate and graham crackers, wrapped up in our sleeping bags. I remember the crackling of the fire, the floating embers, and the gentle warmth from the flames. I think of weekends we spent at my uncle’s home out in Lanikai, how calm and secluded the beach there once was, making s’mores and running around with the adults eating dinner and talking story nearby. A s’more always reminds me of those quiet and simple moments from my childhood, and it was the perfect canvas for what I was craving.
UPDATE: My heart is aching. THIS MOVIE. I’ve been near tears twice already.
Extreme Milkshakes have seemed to have taken over the world recently. They’re ridiculous, and rightfully so. Don’t make this unless you’re prepared for a giant mess, seriously. I’ve always wanted to make one of those “with everything on it” kind of desserts. I started with a simple Oreo milkshake, the glass rimmed with a ganache drizzle, then topped it with a layer of marshmallows, two s’mores, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and graham cracker crumbs.
It’s the kind of treat meant for Leap Day. After all, the calories don’t count on a day that only happens every four years, right? And I’m only gonna teach you how to make one because that’s ALL you should be having (just kidding, you can totally double the recipe as needed!!!).
UPDATE 2: No, I’m not crying my eyes out…
Oreo & S’mores “Everything” Milkshake
for the ganache:
4 oz. of chocolate chips/chopped chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on medium heat until it reaches a light simmer. Pour the hot cream immediately over the chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until a thin ganache forms. Transfer to a piping bag and let it set up in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
3. Once the ganache has set a little, cut off an 1/8 in. opening in the pastry bag and use it to drizzle the ganache down the sides of your chosen glass for the milkshake. Place the glass in the freezer to set fully.
for the milkshake:
6 oreos
2 scoops ice cream
1 cup milk
4. In a blender, combine the oreos, ice cream, and milk. Blend until smooth. Remove the glass with the ganache from the freezer and pour the milkshake in. Make sure not to fill the glass with too much milkshake, otherwise it will overflow when adding the toppings.
s’mores and assembly:
8 marshmallows
4 hershey’s chocolate individual bars
4 graham crackers sheets
5. On a baking sheet lined with parchment, broil 8 marshmallows till browned on top. They only take about 1-2 minutes so make sure to watch them the entire time to prevent burning.
6. Break two of the graham cracker sheets in half. On each half, place two hershey’s chocolates. Add a hot marshmallow and top with the other half of the graham cracker.
7. Add 5 marshmallows to the milkshake, creating a base layer. Stack on one s’more, then the last marshmallow, and sandwich with another s’more. Be careful as the toppings might start to tip over, the more layers are added.
8. Finish off with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and graham cracker crumbs. Enjoy immediately!