S’mores Dessert Wreath

The ultimate rich and indulgent treat can be summed up in three words – S’mores Dessert Wreath! Assemble all of the ingredients into a large wreath and set it out for your guests. Utilizing marshmallow fluff will mimic the gooey marshmallow effect everyone craves, but you can make s’mores more authentic by roasting the marshmallows using your fireplace or even a candle!

Have you ever been to a campfire or a backyard fire? Of course, you have! Have you noticed that there’s always that one person who is running around setting everything up and making sure everyone has what they need? If you haven’t taken note of that person, you’re either not that observant, or that person is you! In our home, it’s me. S’mores Dessert Wreath was designed so that person can relax and enjoy the fire just like everyone else! I guess in this case though, it won’t be a backyard fire, especially if where you live has snow in December as we do!

But, let’s get back to the backyard fire for just a minute. You see, the one member of the family that tends to be the one who does the grocery shopping and the one who prepares the meals, is often the same one who will feed everyone gathered around the fire. We have a fire pit in our backyard. To be honest, we don’t use it very often. It seems to be too hot to sit around a fire, or we are smack dab in the middle of mosquito season.

I’m just thinking back to one of the few times we used it when McKenna had a friend visiting. I thought it would be nice to have dinner in the backyard. Nothing complicated, just hotdogs and s’mores. I thought that roasting the hotdog wieners over the fire would be a great idea. That way, everyone could take care of themselves. And, yes, they could, but that was after I set up a table near the fire pit with everything on it.

IT WILL BE FUN AND EASY, RIGHT!?

So, I made sure everyone had one of those extendable metal roasting forks. I made several trips back and forth, bringing out the ketchup, mustard, relish, hotdog buns, etc. Then, I opened the packages of wieners, making sure that the vegetarian wieners were separated from the all-beef wieners. Next, I made sure everyone had a drink. Then, to save myself time later, I set up a big platter with everything we would need for s’mores. Again, I took the time to make sure the regular marshmallows did not get mixed up with the vegan marshmallows!

Next, I had to gather some old newspapers from the recycling bin. Then, I had to fetch the lighter from the junk drawer in the kitchen. Then, I crumpled the newspaper into the fire pit, followed by some kindling, which I had to get from the wood pile. Lastly, I layered on some smaller pieces of wood before lighting the newspaper. Once the fire was burning well, we all had fun “cooking our own dinner.”

When everyone was stuffed with hotdogs and on a sugar high from the s’mores, we decided to go inside and watch a movie. I tidied up outside and brought everything back to the kitchen. I put away the condiments and leftover marshmallows and chocolate. Then, I put the metal roasting forks to soak in water overnight, otherwise, that burnt marshmallow was never coming off! And, while McKenna picked out a movie, and John.e extinguished the fire, I topped up everyone’s drink and set out bowls of chips and popcorn for the movie. So, you see, a backyard fire is super relaxing for me! This S’mores Dessert Wreath means I don’t have to do a damn thing!

EDIBLE WREATHS ARE THE CHARCUTERIE OF CHRISTMAS!

Charcuterie boards are everywhere these days, and it seems that there’s a theme for just about everything. With that in mind, why not create wreath-shaped charcuterie boards for Christmastime!? I started out with a few varieties in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea and before long, I had a list of twenty themes. Narrowing it down to 12 was hard, but I managed to put some of the themes aside until next year!

With an abundance of marshmallows, chocolates, graham crackers, and also some cedar branches from a tree in our yard, I put together this S’mores Dessert Wreath quite quickly and easily. Everything you see in the wreath is available at most larger chain stores, which means all you have to do is assemble it. Christmastime is busy enough as it is! Putting out a nice spread for friends and family shouldn’t add to your holiday stress!

Most charcuterie boards will include thinly sliced meats and cheese too. And, you can certainly add those things to your wreath if you’re putting it out before dinner as an appetizer. But, in this case, I’m keeping these wreaths simple and very on theme.

WHAT IS CHARCUTERIE ANYWAY?

Charcuterie is a French term meaning “flesh” and “cooked.” It is a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, pate, etc. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for the flavours derived from the preservation processes.

Today, when we hear the term charcuterie, most of us immediately know that we are referring to the preparation and artful assembling of arranging items like cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables, and crackers or bread on a large wooden board.

Charcuterie has been popular in many parts of Europe for many, many years. In fact, there’s documented evidence of charcuterie being present in ancient Roman times. The popularity of these boards did not catch on here in North America until recently. Now, they’re everywhere! And, I’m going to show you how to make wreath-shaped charcuterie boards specifically for Christmas!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

The following is a list of the items needed to prepare an Assorted Cured Meats Wreath. Please keep in mind that the number of items you will need will greatly depend on how many people you are preparing the wreath for. Also, these items are suggestions only. Feel free to switch it up with things that you love, or things that you can find in your local area.

• Graham Crackers  – I used regular graham crackers that you can find in any grocery store, but I also put down some gluten-free graham crackers, because I actually prefer the taste of them.
• Ghirardelli Chocolates – I used three different flavours which were White Caramel Squares, Milk Chocolate Caramel Squares, and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Squares.
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate – I bought two bars and broke them into sections.
• Peanut Butter Cups – I actually used the thin peanut butter cups.
• Celebration Cookies – These are a favourite in our home. I used both the dark chocolate rectangles and the milk chocolate caramel type.
• Marshmallows – In this post, I’m using vegan marshmallows by Dandies. In fact, I use these quite often. John.e is a vegetarian, so he can eat these without any guilt.
• Sauces and Spreads – In four separate bowls, I put out some Nutella, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce.
• Marshmallow Fluff – If you want to make s’mores without fire, this might be the easiest way to do so. Marshmallow Fluff is a whipped, soft, marshmallow cream.
• Waffle Bowls – These are a great option for those of us who want to assemble a s’mores dessert bowl. Put some wooden spoons beside the waffle bowls.
• Candy Canes
• Toffee Bits

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR WREATH BASE

The first thing you want to do is to source a serving plate or bowl for your S’mores Dessert Wreath. The number of people you are serving and the number of items you have to place on the board will help to determine the size you will need. You can use a cutting board, a charcuterie board, a marble slab, or an old silver-plated tray. In fact, you can build the wreath right on top of your clean countertop too, especially if that is where the rest of your food items will be set up!

Next, using fresh sprigs of edible greenery, such as summer savoury or kale, create a circular pattern on the board. I used cedar branches that I cut from one of our cedar trees. They were washed very well and dried in a salad spinner. Whatever greenery you choose to use, position the sprigs so that the leafy end is pointing out from the center of the board. The wreath size will be determined by how much berries and chocolate you will be piling onto it, so size the wreath accordingly. It’s always best to make the wreath a little bigger so that the green leaves are not completely covered. Once you’re happy with positioning those, it’s time to assemble the wreath.

Start by laying out your bowls of spreads, sauces, and marshmallow fluff. If you are using waffle bowls, put them down now too. Next, lay down a base consisting of alternating chocolate and graham crackers. These will be placed in and around the bowls of spreads and sauces too. Work your way around the board alternating between the white, milk, and dark chocolate Ghiradelli. Add in the Hershey squares and the Celebration cookies too.

Next, fill in the gaps with regular and mini Dandies marshmallows. Add in the peanut butter cups too. Next, top the board with broken candy canes and a sprinkling of toffee bits as a garnish. Now, step back and admire your work. Looks gorgeous, doesn’t it!?

MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME

You can make this S’mores Dessert Wreath earlier on the day you are serving it, however, I would not make it a day or two in advance only because storing it will be an issue. The sauces may require refrigeration, but refrigeration will add moisture to the graham crackers making them soft and soggy. If you do make it ahead of time, I would not recommend any longer than 8-12 hours. Cover the board well and set it out at room temperature.

If you need to make this wreath further in advance, you can, but don’t assemble it. Wash and dry the cedar branches. You can even unwrap all of the chocolates and cookies ahead of time. Portion out the sauces and spreads. Break up the candy canes. Package everything up in food-safe containers individually.

Don’t store the cedar branches in your fridge. Prop them up in a jar or vase with water. They will stay fresh for about a week. In fact, you can leave them in the water out on your front porch too. This might be the best way to go, especially if you have pets that like to chew on things! (I’m looking at you, Jake and Maggie!) When ready to assemble, do so as described in the section above.

CHOCOLATES – THE BEST PART!

Who doesn’t love chocolate!? I ask that knowing full well that I know of one person who doesn’t. My sister’s little boy doesn’t care for chocolate at all. Isn’t that odd? His older brother loves it though, so I bet he’s happy that he gets to eat all of the Easter and Halloween chocolate by himself!

For this S’mores Dessert Wreath, I wanted to add a few different kinds of chocolate that would appeal to everyone’s tastes, but not break the bank at the same time. We all know that really good chocolate can be quite expensive, so only buy what you can afford. The mass-produced chocolate is just fine for a board like this! Save the specialty shops and artisan chocolate for Valentine’s Day!

In my case, I wanted to buy different types of chocolate, so I got some white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. I also wanted different shapes of chocolate, so I was sure to find some chocolate squares as well as rounds.

DANDIES VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS

Now, if you just so happen to click on the link for Dandies above, you will note that the brand has both large and mini marshmallows. Depending on the time of year, they also have flavours like pumpkin and peppermint – and now maple too!

This post is not sponsored by Dandies, and I don’t want you to think that I’m preaching veganism at you, because I am far from vegan. However, whenever I find a product that I love, I always share it with you. You most certainly don’t have to be vegan to enjoy Dandies marshmallows. They also have no artificial colours or flavours, which is always a bonus.

If you have any friends or family with food allergies, you might want to consider using Dandies as well. Unlike real marshmallows, there’s no corn syrup, they are kosher, and have no GMOs. Dandies are manufactured in a gluten-free environment and are free from many common allergens such as wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, mustard, corn, and sesame. Seriously, what do you have to lose!?

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will tell you that a representative from Dandies did reach out to me after reading one of my previous recipes using their product. They offered to send me marshmallows twice now. So, when I was putting together my Christmas baking list, I reached out to them this time. Luckily, you don’t have to do that, because Dandies can be found in most large grocery chain stores now. Still, I would not promote the product without fully supporting it. Honestly, they taste wonderful and I’m not sure I could tell the difference between a vegan marshmallow and a “real” one! They’re really that good! So, thank you, Dandies!