Marshmallow

To crush candies easily, minus any peppermint shrapnel, place them in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, meat mallet, or the back of a large spoon.

Upgrade your campfire treats with soft honey-cinnamon cookies slicked with melted chocolate and two toasted, charred marshmallows.

I love to celebrate birthdays with the crew and my bandmates. When we're on the road, it's nice to have the band family celebrate. Jimi's birthday falls at the end of October, and I sometimes make this silly chocolate cherry cola cake for him, decorating the top with chocolate cherry cordials or gummy candies. I always let him choose what he's got a hankering for, and it's often this.

These stuffed waffles couldn't be easier; you don't even have to make batter! They combine the flakiness and flexibility of puff pastry with the golden brown, crispy exterior of a waffle. Use one of the suggested sweet or savory fillings below, or experiment with your favorite flavor combinations to make the puffles of your dreams.

If you don't know what a Sno-Ball is, you should probably move on to the next chapter. Those round, fuzzy pink flavor wads are a staple of childhood (and a guilty pleasure of adulthood). Food coloring is optional here, but without it, this recipe looks much too grown-up.

Christina Tosi, the chef, owner, and founder of New York's Momofuku Milk Bar, created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. You can make these marshmallow cereal bars with a variety of different cereals. We find that simpler ones, such as cornflakes, Golden Grahams, and Kix work best, and recommend avoiding more sugary cereals, or cereals with large or dense pieces. You can add up to 1 cup total of mix-ins per batch, but feel free to use any kind of mix-in combination to equal 1 cup. You can also experiment with different cereal and mix-in combinations to create your own unique treats. Some of our favorites include wheat puffs with pistachios and dried cranberries, Rice Krispies with dried blueberries and cinnamon, and Cheerios with pepitas and dried cherries. For more on Tosi and these holiday treats, see A Very Momofuku Milk Bar Christmas.

Taste absolutely sinful…but they're not. You can make them up to two days ahead and store in an airtight container.

There’s no easier way to toast a marshmallow than by cheating with bottled smoke. This recipe takes a jar of old-school marshmallow cream blended with heavy cream, real vanilla, and smoke to make a modern miracle. Use it as you would any vanilla sauce with fresh fruits or berries, over ice cream, or in tandem with our cheater chocolate and caramel smoked dessert sauces.

These just might be the first s’mores you’ll ever eat that don’t come dipped in ashes. And it takes only eight marshmallows to make eight s’mores because none are sacrificed in the fire. A quick dip in bottled smoke and a sprinkling of Cheater Smoked Sweet Salt are the other secrets to bringing adult sophistication to this kiddie camp classic. Mix and match cookies and graham crackers with different chocolates and candy bars. The marshmallows will burn in the oven, so watch them carefully and don’t leave your post. Cookie Sheet S’mores don’t need to be served hot. We were surprised at a winter birthday barbecue for Min’s daughter, Elsa, when we laid out a platter and guests of all ages kept sneaking just one more s’more until they were gone. Use a variety of smallish store-bought cookies so everyone can try different combinations.

This pie combines all the gooey goodness of s’mores—chocolate, marshmallow vanilla cream, and toasted marshmallows—wrapped up in a graham cracker shell. The only part of the camping experience you’ll miss is the smell of the fire (and maybe a few mosquito bites!).

According to Retro Desserts, by Wayne Brachman, this recipe dates back to the 1950s and was developed by a company that makes crème de menthe. Other recipes use a filling more like a Key lime pie, but made with mint. This version is mildly minty and has a texture like frozen cream. It’s a pretty, delicate shade of green even without the food coloring.

Mudd Pie is a rich treat that’s fun to make; you simply can’t go wrong with it! It’s a fun kitchen activity for children, too, and they love to eat the results.

For Halloween, create silly and scary-looking faces with buttercream, candy, marshmallows, and, of course, cupcakes. Decorating the cakes is a great activity for kids and parents to do together: Set out cupcakes and bowls of colored frostings and assorted candies and let everyone create his or her own aliens, monsters, and beasts.

Store-bought snack cakes can’t compare to these homemade versions: Dark chocolate cupcakes are filled with fluffy marshmallow cream, which is also used to pipe decorations on the tops. Take care not to overfill the hollowed-out cupcakes, or the cream may seep out.

Treat Dad to something special on Father’s Day: an over-the-top, unforgettable chocolate dessert. Just like the fudge and the ice-cream variety of the same name, our Rocky Road Tart is jam-packed with mini marshmallows, salted almonds, and chocolate chunks, all in an easy graham-cracker crust. It’s sure to become an annual tradition.

It’s no wonder kids adore these bar cookies. A gooey topping spills over a base filled with butterscotch chips, miniature marshmallows, chocolate chunks, and—as if that weren’t enough—melted caramels.

City dwellers, and anyone else who feels that he or she doesn’t get enough time in front of a campfire, can still enjoy the taste of s’mores with these cookies, which cleverly combine the graham cracker–marshmallow–chocolate trifecta. What they lack in the crispy char of the toasted marshmallow, they more than make up for in their ability to be made in advance. They are also one of the most versatile cookies in this book as far as being appropriate for all occasions. Bring them to a family reunion, use them as a butter-up-your-boss gift, serve them with petit fours at a formal affair, or just keep them in a jar at home to treat yourself.

Fans of rocky road ice cream will rejoice in this unabashedly retro chocolate cake. It’s a great make-ahead treat for picnics, tailgating, and kids’ parties.