Ina Garten's 4th of July Menu Stars a Stunning New Take on S'Mores Your Guests Will Love

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Every year we look forward to our Fourth of July party. And sure, it’s fun to celebrate Independence Day or whatever, but everyone knows that the real star of the day (other than fireworks) is the food. We’re usually firing up the grill or stocking up on summer seafood, and whenever we need a recipe that’s going to make this year’s 4th of July celebration stand out, we look to celebrity chef and cookbook author Ina Garten. After all, she’s basically the queen of the Hamptons and throws dinner parties all summer long. Even better? She shares her Fourth of July menu every year, and this one is loaded with delicious dishes — including a stunning take on S’Mores that will make you a legend to your party guests.

The savory items on Garten’s menu, which she shared on Instagram, are the best of summer: Warm Lobster Rolls, Vegetable Coleslaw, and Potato Salad à la Julia Child, with Fresh lemonade to drink. But for dessert, she takes s’mores to the next level by swapping out store-bought marshmallows for fluffy, creamy, homemade toasted coconut marshmallows. The recipe comes from her book Barefoot Contessa Family Style, and if you’ve never made marshmallows before, this is the recipe you’ll want to try.

It’s actually not that hard to make marshmallows from scratch. But you will need to make them one day ahead of time, so they can set overnight. To make the ‘mallows, you’ll need to first make the toasted coconut, which is easily accomplished by just cooking up some sweetened shredded coconut in a skillet until it’s golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Then you’ll make the marshmallows. It’s kind of cool to see how they come together. First, you’ll add gelatin to cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, make a sugar syrup and cook it to 240 degrees. Add the hot syrup to the gelatin, then mix on high speed for about 15 minutes using your mixer’s whisk attachment. The mixture will go from a clear color to a light, fluffy, white marshmallow mixture as air is incorporated.

Add the toasted coconut to a pan and pour the marshmallow mix on top, and then let that mixture sit overnight. That allows the marshmallows to set. The next day, you can cut them into squares, and while they’re good enough to eat on their own, the Barefoot Contessa’s homemade toasted coconut marshmallows turn simple s’mores into something truly outstanding. Paired with Garten’s favorite Lindt bittersweet chocolate and some graham crackers, s’mores are transformed from a sticky but often too-sweet campfire snack to an elegant but fun dessert you’ll want to serve every Independence Day.

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