Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Graham Crackers S—mores -- The Fire That Carries the Name

Christmas. The traditions unbroken. Pozole at Maryvale (Elena commanding, Sofia assisting, Diego at four-minute intervals, Roberto in the recliner supervising via commentary). Cinnamon rolls from Duluth (Diane, via Jessica, via the oven at 5:30 AM). The gifts opened in the order of youngest to oldest, which means Fuego goes first (a new bone — the dog's Christmas list is mercifully short).

Diego: the drone (a beginner model with a camera — the boy was airborne within twenty minutes, the dog was terrified, and the footage from the first flight is mostly sky and Diego's shoe), the Kubrick book (opened to a random page, read three paragraphs, declared Kubrick "a genius" — the boy commits to opinions quickly), and the lizard is "pending spring" (Jessica's negotiation tactic: delay without denying). Sofia: the competition jacket (she tried it on immediately, looked in the mirror, adjusted the collar, and said "now I look like a real chef," which she has been since she was seven but which the jacket confirms in the way that uniforms confirm what practice has proven), the sharpening tools (she sharpened the santoku knife to a edge that I could hear sing when she ran her thumb along the spine), and the fiction writing class (enrolled for January, Saturday mornings, a workshop for teens at a library in Scottsdale).

Roberto's gift from me: nothing physical. Not a recliner, not an apron, not a photo album. This year, the gift was a promise. I sat with Roberto in the Maryvale living room after the pozole, just the two of us, the house quiet, Elena putting plates away, the kids in the yard with Fuego. I said, "Dad, I want to tell you something about the second location." He said, "What about it?" I said, "The sign in Chandler will say Rivera's. The photograph above the counter will be you at the cinder block grill. The words underneath will say Just Show Up. The menu will have Roberto's Carne Asada Plate in the center. The community table will be mesquite. The fire will be live. Everything that is true about Mesa will be true about Chandler. Your fire. Your name. Your restaurant." He was quiet. Then he said, "It was always your restaurant, mijo." I said, "It was always your fire." He put his hand on my arm. I put my hand on his. The Christmas gift was a promise: the fire will carry your name. The name will outlast us both.

After Roberto put his hand on my arm and the house went quiet, Sofia came back inside smelling like cold air and woodsmoke, and Diego asked if we could do s’mores — because the fire in the yard was still alive and it seemed wrong to let it go out on its own. I thought about that word: fire. I thought about what I’d just promised my father. We made these that night, with crackers Sofia had rolled and cut herself, dusted in cinnamon sugar the way Diane used to dust everything in Duluth — generously, without apology. The fire carried us through to midnight. It felt right that it would carry the name too.

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Graham Crackers S’mores

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for topping)
• 12 large marshmallows
• 6 oz milk chocolate bar, broken into 12 pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined.
3. Cut in the butter. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Drizzle in the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix with a fork and then your hands until the dough just comes together. If it feels dry, add milk one teaspoon at a time.
5. Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2x3-inch rectangles and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Use a fork or skewer to score a line down the center and prick each cracker several times.
6. Add cinnamon sugar topping. Mix the granulated sugar with the remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Brush crackers lightly with water and dust evenly with the cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until the edges are golden and firm. The centers will crisp as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
8. Toast and assemble. Toast marshmallows over an open flame or under a broiler until golden and softened. Sandwich each marshmallow and one piece of chocolate between two cooled graham crackers and press gently. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 215 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg