How to make S'mores Pops

Fall weather has arrived, and even though we often find ourselves roasting during the day, the temperatures drop at night, so it's too chilly for a more enjoyable kind of roasting: roasting marshmallows for s'mores, that is.  But only wimps let a bit of cold weather get in the way of an ooey, gooey s'more, so we make them in the microwave instead.  I recently discovered an even better way to enjoy s'mores -- S'mores Pops -- so I decided to try them out myself.

The S'mores Pops pin I found on Pinterest links to a S'mores blog post with some gorgeous photos, but no instructions, so I decided to list down everything I did to make the S'mores Pops:


You will need:

1 bag (10 oz) regular-sized marshmallows
1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Graham crackers
1 Tablespoon of vegetable shortening
About 40 lollipop sticks

Instructions:

Crush the graham crackers in a food processor into crumbs.  Crush enough graham crackers to make about 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening together.  You can do it in a microwave-safe bowl, on 50% power, at 30-second intervals -- but I find that the chocolate becomes increasingly difficult to work with as it cools.  So I used the double boiler method:  I poured boiling water into a pan, then put a small pot in the pan and did the melting in a pot.  The hot water kept the chocolate warm and runny throughout the whole process, without scorching it.

Skewer a marshmallow onto a lollipop stick, and dip into the melted chocolate. You'll probably get more chocolate onto the marshmallow than you need, so with your free hand, gently tap the wrist of the hand that's holding the lollipop stick.  The excess chocolate will drip off, without splattering everywhere.

Roll the chocolate-covered marshmallow into the graham cracker crumbs.  Stand the S'mores Pop on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Cool your sheet of S'mores Pops in the fridge until the chocolate is firm.

S'mores Pops are adorable!  They are way easier to make than cake pops, and just as pretty.  They taste just like a regular S'mores (duh), but without the gooey mess.  Some people may say that the drips and the mess are half the fun, but I'm happy to leave the mess to the Girl Scouts.  All I need is that glorious S'mores taste, and I'm a happy camper.