Making S'Mores with Truffle Truffle
By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 11, 2010 4:00PM
Ah, S'mores. The evocative treat of childhood. Memories of mosquito bites, fire pits, burning marshmallows and late-night firefly hunts swirl through our heads at the very mention of the word. We've experienced lots of S'more-based concoctions over the years - restaurant desserts, microwave s'more kits, chocolate-covered marshmallows - but none has come even close to the wonder that is Truffle Truffle's hand-made S'mores. You've never had anything like these flavors - how about a root beer float S'more? Or mocha? Or, for the foodie adventurers, a black truffle S'more, using marshmallows with truffle honey and black truffle shortbread?
Truffle Truffle is owned by Nicole Greene, a witty, vivacious woman who is dedicated to her craft. A University of Chicago graduate, Nicole worked in intelligence for years before turning to pastry - and her enthusiasm for her second profession is infectious. Nothing at Truffle Truffle is done by a machine - every step is done by hand. She makes the marshmallows and the shortbread by hand, and melts her chocolate over an open flame. "It's the process that I love," she explained while stirring a pot. "Chocolate demands respect." In a less formal moment, Nicole exclaimed that even if she needed "a hanger full of oompa-loompas" her company would only do things by hand.
The process of making one of these S'Mores is complex and requires more steps than some of the chocolates we've seen before. She starts by dipping the flavored marshmallow (tarragon and orange, chai tea, lemon rosemary and more) into melted chocolate and placing it atop the shortbread. She uses shortbread rather than graham cracker for the buttery feel, and because it holds up better. Then, the marshmallow gets another piece of shortbread on top, creating a sort of sandwich, held together with chocolate. Once it sets, the entire thing is dipped in chocolate for a final coating.
Nicole sells the S'mores online for $2.50, and they are available at Southport Grocery. They're more than worth the price, and great for a unique gift. Truffle Truffle was also featured recently in the New York Times for Beer and Pretzel toffee, and Nicole's caramels (our favorite flavor is Bourbon Pecan) are to die for. More details on the making of the products are in the photo captions!