Cooking Therapy

One of my favorite activities in the summer months is making s’mores over a nice fire while relaxing with friends and telling stories.  Whether young or old, eating s’mores will always bring a smile to a person’s face. The crispy graham crackers, melty chocolate, and gooey marshmallows conduct a happy symphony in the mouth when bitten into. With this recipe, I embodied the happiness of s’mores making so it can be enjoyed even in the colder months. The chocolate filling has a mousse-like quality that is smooth and rich with chocolaty flavor, accompanied by a buttery, graham cracker crust and homemade marshmallow fluff. This will be you new favorite pie and go-to for any baking situation.

S’mores Pie

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Wait 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup nilla wafer crumbs
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate chunks
• 4 oz milk chocolate chunks
• 1 cup heavy cream at room temperature
• 1/3 cup heavy cream at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks at room temperature
• Egg whites from 10 eggs at room temperature
• ¾ cups sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8 oz) of butter

Method

 

For the crust

1. In a small pot melt the butter. For added flavor, cook the butter longer on a medium-high heat until the color begins to deepen and brown, and the aroma becomes nuttier. This is brown butter
2. In a food processor bowl add the graham crackers and nilla wafers and pulse until they are finely grounded into a powder. Add the melted butter and pulse for 10 more seconds until incorporated and the mixture feels like wet sand. If it feels too dry, add a touch more butter and pulse; if it feels too wet and is too buttery, add a few more handfuls of ground/powdered graham crackers and nilla wafers and work with hands
3. Butter your pie or baking pan and transfer the crumb mixture. Using your hands, work the mixture from the center of the pan towards and up the sides, building a nice base and pie wall, pressing firmly. When the pie crust has been formed in the pan, chill it for at least half an hour
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
5. For the chocolate filling
6. Add the chocolate chunks in a large bowl. You can use one type of chocolate more than the other based on personal preference
7. In a small saucepan, scald the one cup of heavy cream. Do not boil
8. Once scalded, pour the cream over the chocolate and let it stand for at least 2-3 minutes so the chocolate melts. Whisk the cream and chocolate until a smooth texture forms. Add more chocolate for a thicker mixture
9. In a bain marie, or a bowl over a pot of water if you don’t have one with the bowl not touching the water, add the two egg yolks and the half cup of sugar and cook over a medium heat, constantly whisking the yolks and sugar until the sugar has melted and the mixture fluffs and increases in volume
10. Add the egg yolk mixture in the chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated and the mixture fluffs
11. Using a hand mixer, or just constantly whisking it with your hands for a few minutes, beat the remaining 1/3 cup of heavy cream until whipped cream begins to form. Add the whipped cream to the chocolate one spoonful at a time, folding the cream into the chocolate until incorporated each time it’s added. This will give the chocolate a mousse like quality and ensure that it does not harden when refrigerated.
12. Let the chocolate rest and place the pie crust in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown
13. When ready, remove the crust from the oven and let cool. While the crust is cooling, prep the marshmallow topping

For the Marshmallow Topping

1. In a large saucepan, add the ¾ cup of sugar and the ¼ cup of water and dissolve the sugar over a medium high heat. Heat until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads between 240 and 260 degrees, low-ball to hard-ball stage
2. While the sugar is dissolving, add the egg whites and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat over a medium speed until it begins to fluff. Slowly pour the sugar down the side of the mixer, while the egg whites are beaten on a medium-high speed now, until glossy and doubled in size
3. Take a generous spoonful of the marshmallow topping and add it to the chocolate mixture folding it in until incorporated. This will give the chocolate filling a smoother texture
4. Setting up the pie
5. Pour the chocolate into the crust, evenly spreading it to the sides
6. Add the marshmallow topping on top of the chocolate and spread out covering the chocolate filling. Using a torch, or the broiler setting in the oven, toast the top of the marshmallow
7. To serve, heat a knife by running it under hot water and drying it. Cut through the pie slowly