Sweet and Sara Archives

Come March 1st, grocery store shelves are already fully stocked with enough Easter paraphernalia to power non-stop spring fetes lasting a full month, regardless of when Easter Sunday is actually observed. For all the pastel glitter and sugar on offer, they still lack what is arguably the single most important element to a proper holiday celebration: Vegan marshmallow peeps. Peeps may have gotten a life outside of the spring season, but they will forever be inextricably linked with Easter in my mind, and vice versa. Since there was little understanding of what Easter really was in my formative years, all that in my eyes were those colorful, sugar-encrusted chicks and bunnies, staring out of their cardboard sleeves with emotionless dots for eyes.

Sweet & Sara has taken up the task of providing this essential Easter staple, easily surpassing that original standard. This isn’t the first time I’ve shared about these seasonal treats, but I’m happy to say that they’ve only improved over time. Now they too come dusted in a light coat of colored sugar, matching my fond childhood memories, but with real dark chocolate adorning each adorable shape. You won’t find them in stores any time soon, but they’re worth seeking out during this limited window of availability. Spring just wouldn’t be nearly as sweet without them.

If there was ever a perfect time to jam fluffy marshmallows onto sticks and slowly torture them over an open flame, it would most certainly be summer. Unsurprisingly, camping has never held much allure to me, but the mere concept of roasting mallows at dusk, graham crackers and chocolate close at hand, has always held a bit of nostalgia. It was part of our 4th of July celebration, and one of the rare occasions where I would spend almost a full day outdoors. The bug bites and sunburns were always ferocious, but that sweet s’more sandwich always ended the evening on a sweet note.

Sweet and Sara may have started the wheels turning for a marshmallow revolution years ago, but now that there are high-quality and seemingly handmade graham crackers on the table, it’s serious business.

With their new-and-improved formula, their iconic square marshmallows have a slightly bouncier, chewier texture; Lighter than before, but still with so much more substance than the average jet-puffed Styrofoam packing peanut. Flavor fully intact and delicious as ever, I must admit I miss their past density that bordered on creaminess, but they’re hardly a confection you can find fault in.

New to the lineup of Sweet and Sara offerings, their graham crackers are unlike anything I’ve seen in a standard grocery store. Akin to what you might bake up in your own oven, these whole wheat planks are surprisingly thick, with a somewhat flaky texture reminiscent of a well-made pie crust. Leading with a strong, toasted wheat flavor and highly buttery, rich taste, their minimal sweetness is quite subdued- Perfect for pairing with fluffy sugar bombs to make a balanced s’more. Though they might be almost too thick for the classic marshmallow sandwich, their heft does turn the treat into a serious and satisfying snack.

Tag: Sweet and Sara

Hanging with My Peeps

More S’mores, Please!