Great British Baking Show S’mores Upsets (Some) Americans
Paul Hollywood’s s’mores recipe doesn’t include the classic staple ingredients
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
In the latest installment of The Great British Baking Show (BBS), viewers were scared silly during Halloween Week’s Technical Challenge: s’mores.
Paul Hollywood requested the competitors make American s’mores from scratch, a frightful feat considering most of us can’t even identify the ingredients that make up a marshmallow. Moreover, these s’mores had an English twist on them. Hollywood asked the fireside dessert to be made with a homemade marshmallow, chocolate ganache, a digestive biscuit, and a small blowtorch.
In case you’re wondering, a digestive biscuit is a dry, crunchy cookie made with wheat flour. They are cheap and common in British supermarkets, which is why you might’ve heard BBS competitors say they would normally pop into the store to buy a pack rather than make them from scratch.
Let’s be clear: the BBS bakers knew what an American s’mores was. They were just as surprised by the recipe’s less-than conventional ingredients.
As soon as the challenge began, it was clear bakers would struggle. Whether it was forgetting to add gelatin to their marshmallow syrup or completely melting the treat with a blow torch, mistakes were made, resulting in a few sad-looking s’mores.
Spoiler alert: Syabira won the Technical with her s’mores meeting Hollywood’s expectations.
Fans of the show took to Twitter to denounce the s’mores challenge.
Was not ready for the horror that is the Great British Baking Show’s interpretation of s’mores pic.twitter.com/XdtKmRKB2C
— mattgetmeasoda (@mattgetmeasoda) October 21, 2022
I never thought I had a culture that could be offended but then The Great British Baking Show made s’mores.
— Brandon Sparks 🐟🥢 (@BestSeattle77) October 22, 2022
As an American, the Brits trying to turn S'mores into a technical baking challenge is the funniest thing ever. It's super technical but should never be done in a kitchen. Slow roast on a tree branch over campfire till crunchy and golden outside, gooey inside. #GBBO
— Super_Nova (@SuperNova_2319) October 21, 2022
All in all, though, the challenge was entertaining to watch and forced the bakers to step outside their comfort zones. It was also fun to see Paul Hollywood’s take on the campfire treat, even though it wasn’t exactly what we’d imagined.
We know a thing or two about taking liberties with a s’mores recipe. Our own, Cream Cheese S’mores, are made with rich cream cheese in lieu of marshmallows and raw cacao nibs and dark cocoa powder.
Get the recipe below!