It’s almost Memorial Day! And that means it’s almost time for camping and beach days and, most importantly, s’mores.

I mean, who doesn’t love s’mores? Crunchy graham crackers, melty milk chocolate, and toasted marshmallow are absolute perfection when smashed together. The only real problem with summer in New York City–besides the oppressive humidity–is that I don’t have enough excuses to eat them. I know I could toast marshmallows over a burner on my stove and make them in my kitchen, but really, s’mores are always, always best when eaten around a fire. But I don’t know if or when I’ll be around a fire pit this summer, so instead I’ll eat these cookies in my apartment while I plan my fictional camping trip. 

S’mores Sandwich Cookies have all the flavors of the real thing. The cookies themselves are made with a combination of flour and graham cracker crumbs, and speckled with bits of smooth milk chocolate. The best part? The graham cracker crumbs keep the dough from spreading too much, so this dough doesn’t need to chill! This means that if you manage your time wisely, these cookies can be made start-to-finish in less than 90 minutes. 

Enough about the cookies though–let’s get to the filling. Oh good gracious, this stuff is amazing. Mini marshmallows are toasted under the broiler, and then beaten into a creamy frosting. Then it’s spread or piped onto the cookies, and everything is squished together so that there’s graham cracker, milk chocolate, and toasted marshmallow in every single bite.

S’mores Sandwich Cookies are the stuff of summertime dreams. But you won’t smell like a fire pit when you’re done making them, and you won’t need any bug spray. No, you can enjoy these in the comfort of your very own air-conditioned home. And when it’s 100 degrees and 10,000% humidity, doesn’t that sound like bliss? 

 S’mores Sandwich Cookies
makes about six dozen sandwich cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 graham crackers)
6 ounces milk chocolate,* finely chopped

Filling:
1 10-ounce bag miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2-2 cups confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in dark brown and granulated sugars, followed by eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in two installments, mixing completely after each addition. Beat in graham cracker crumbs, followed by chopped milk chocolate.

Scoop dough by the teaspoon, roll into balls, and place at least 1 1/2-inches apart on prepared pans. Bake 6-7 minutes, until no longer shiny. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Make the filling. Set oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place marshmallows in an even layer over the foil. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, followed by salt and vanilla.

Broil marshmallows 30-45 seconds, or until golden. Remove from broiler, and immediately use a silicone spatula to scrape them into the mixing bowl. Beat until completely combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add more confectioner’s sugar as needed. It will be a bit sticky. If the filling is initially too warm with which to work, chill it for 15-30 minutes before proceeding. If you would like to pipe the filling, spoon it into a plastic sandwich bag, and snip off a corner.

There are two options for filling:

1. To assemble a sandwich cookie by piping, apply filling by pipe about a teaspoon of filling on the underside of one cookie, leaving about 1/4″ around the edge. Top with a second plain cookie, with the underside filling-side-in. Repeat until all cookies have been used.

2. To assemble a sandwich cookie by spreading, use an offset frosting knife to spread 1/2-1 teaspoon on the underside of one cookie. Top with a second plain cookie, with the underside filling-side-in. Repeat until all cookies have been used.

Filled cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.