Smookies (Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Marshmallows)

What could possibly be better than a warm chocolate chip cookie?

How about 2 warm chocolate chip cookies...

...filled with gooey fire roasted marshmallows?

If this doesn't make you want to start a bonfire right now, I'm not sure you're breathing. 

This, dear friends, is a smookie. 

And it. is. incredible. 

Truthfully, I owe you all an apology, because I've been holding out on you. 

You see, I've known about Smookies for over a decade. I was introduced to them way back in middle school when I attended my first summer camp. Each year one evening of camp was spent in a beautiful valley surrounded by rock formations. The valley was lit up by a giant bonfire, and each of us were invited to fill our plates with roasted hot dogs, baked beans, and potato chips. 

Simple as it was, that was always one of my favorite camp meals. Nothing quite compares to a hot dog blackened over a blazing fire. And it was there in that valley that I first discovered baked beans make a wonderful dip for ruffled chips. 

As great as that meal was, by far the highlight of those nights was the dessert. Everyone was handed two chocolate chip cookies, a poker, and a marshmallow. We would all rush to the campfire to roast our mallows, some taking great care to slowly rotate their poker, braving the heat long enough to get the perfect, even toast. 

Others, with either less patience or a taste for char, would thrust their poker straight into the flame, catch the marshmallow on fire and then huff and puff in a frenzy to blow it out.

But in the end it didn't really matter whether the marshmallow was golden brown or crisp and blackened. 

Because once that marshmallow wedged it's warm, ooey gooey goodness between those two cookies there was only incredible, mouth watering, delectable Smookie. 

To this day no bonfire, no camping trip is quite complete for me without the presence of Smookies. 

For the past few years, I've been relying on my favorite Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for all my Smookie needs. 

But lately I've had the urge to make the Smookie slightly more like its S'more knock off. I wanted it to be reminiscent of that classic graham cracker and chocolate bar combo, while still retaining the wonderful cookie properties that make the Smookie so special. 

So I tweaked The Chewy recipe just slightly, adding a drizzle of honey, chunks of Hershey's chocolate, and a healthy teaspoon of cinnamon. The result is a lighter, fluffier, more cake-like cookie with a hint of graham cracker flavor. 

Need more convincing?

Well, there's this. 

And then there's also this. 

It will definitely make you want to do this:

These are totally irresistible. The Mr. could barely contain himself while I was taking pictures (as you can see).  The warm marshmallow melts the bits of chocolate so each bite is a sticky mess of cinnamon, chocolate, and toasty cookie crumbs. 

Don't worry if you're not planning a bonfire anytime soon. I've made these over a grill. Heck, I've even used my broiler. Desperate smookie cravings call for desperate measures. These cookies stay soft for days so  you can make them in advance, pack them in your backpack and be good for a week's worth of camping dessert gold. Hey, you can even use store bought cookies if you want to! I don't judge. 

Just don't wait to try this twist on a summer classic. They're so good, you may never have a S'more again. 

P.S. Because I truly LOVE these cookies, I've shared them over at the Tidy Mom I'm Lovin' It Party! Go check it out!

Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Recipe by Bake. Eat. Repeat. 

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (table salt would also work fine)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 Tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped Hershey's milk chocolate bars

15-30 marshmallows for smookies, depending on how much mallow you like in your sandwich. 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place sheets of parchment paper on two large baking sheets.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. 

3. Pour the melted butter into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the honey and brown sugar. Beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined. With the mixture on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and Hershey's chocolate. 

4. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Use a cookie scoop to dish out 1 inch balls of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, Remove cookies when they are golden brown on the edges but still look underdone in the middle. Let set up for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack. 

5. For the marshmallows, toast to your liking over an open fire, grill, or under a broiler (if I use the broiler I always place the marshmallow on top of one of the cookies then slide them in open faced. To serve, smash 1 or 2 toasted marshmallows between 2 cookies and enjoy!