toasted coconut lemon meringue s'more in a glass

I realize this may be divisive. A gooey, sticky, melted-chocolate s'more is summertime canon. You can't touch it—and I'm not trying to. But I also know that some people [*lowers voice*] don't care for chocolate. Other people like chocolate but aren't always in the mood for it. Still others salivate at the thought of lemon anything, and they have no qualms riffing on a classic campfire treat in the name of creamy tang and coconut fluff.

Did I miss anyone?

However you're coming at this, it's a fun one. Once the lemon cream is whipped up and at the ready, this simple dessert is just a matter of coating that mallow in coconut and toasting it up. And I do strongly recommend toasting versus burning, especially because it's not just the mallow at stake here—the coconut is delicate and touchy, and you might notice it sparks if it gets too close to the flame. Find your safe distance from the heat source and rotate the mallow constantly until it's golden all round.

Scooping it all—graham cracker crumbs, mouth-puckering lemon cream, and toasted coconut mallow—onto a spoon ensures a balanced distribution of all three elements and allows for a more controlled, dignified indulgence. That said, there's no denying the nostalgic delight in housing a gooey cracker sandwich that ends invariably with you getting marshmallow in your hair.

Spoon or s'more: the choice is yours. Whatever you decide, don't hold back.

Watch the video!

Ingredients:

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Graham crackers

Marshmallows

Water

Shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Whisk the lemon juice into the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

2. Whip the heavy cream and gently fold it into the lemon curd until the mix is uniform.

3. Crumble two graham crackers into a small glass or bowl. Top the crumbs with a spoonful of the lemon cream.

4. Stick a marshmallow onto the end of a wood skewer or chopstick. Dip it in water and then roll it in the shredded coconut.

5. Hold the marshmallow a safe distance above a flame. Constantly rotate the mallow so the coconut gets toasted but the mallow doesn’t start on fire. Be patient. The mallow itself should get a little golden and puffy. When it starts to droop on the skewer, pull it off the heat.

6. Place your toasted coconut mallow atop the lemon cream. Sprinkle some graham cracker dust on top, if ya like.