S’more Pie

Layers of dark chocolate ganache, creamy milk chocolate pot de creme, and toasted marshmallow topping in a graham cracker crust!

Last December, I took my first solo trip ever to the city that never sleeps–New York City. It was in celebration of a milestone birthday, and I figured it would be the best start to a whole new decade for me. NYC during Christmastime had always been on my bucket list, and I was excited to finally take the plunge into independent travel territory. And boy, am I glad I did!

I can’t tell you how freeing it is to travel by yourself. And as a woman, it can be especially liberating to be on your own in a city completely unknown to you. Being the introvert that I am, this solo traveling thing was definitely up my alley. I could go anywhere I wanted whenever I wanted, and I didn’t have to talk to anyone. Well almost…the subway system took just a little getting used to. Luckily, New Yorkers are much nicer and helpful than people might assume. 

If you’re wondering how this trip has anything to do with this week’s recipe, I’m just about to get to that. NYC, as we all know, is one of the most ethnic, culturally diverse (another word for ethnic, I know), and vibrant cities in the country, ESPECIALLY when it comes to food. So as you can imagine, I went pretty crazy hopping from bakery to bakery each and every day I was there. To give you a better idea of my trip, check out my vlog below!

Anyway, I had the opportunity to meet up with a friend of a friend at a restaurant, called The Smith. It was definitely lunchtime, but being the sugar fiend that I am, I just had to try their S’mores in a Jar. It’s one of the items they’re known for, and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. (I included a clip of it in my vlog!) 

Words cannot describe the feelings of pure awe and amazement when I stabbed my spoon through those lusciously creamy layers of S’more heaven. Starting from the bottom, it had a creamy and almost dense layer of milk chocolate pudding. On top of that was a smooth, rich dark chocolate ganache. That layer was then topped with a gooey and oh-so-fluffy homemade marshmallow fluff. Crowned with a perfectly toasted marshmallow, a shard of crispy chocolate, and homemade graham crackers, this had to be the fanciest and most delicious s’more I’ve ever had. There was not one crumb or lick of chocolate left in that jar. From that moment on, I made it my mission (more like obsession) to replicate that very dessert. And this week, I think I came pretty damn close…

This S’more Pie has almost all of the elements of the S’mores in a Jar from The Smith. Yes, it’s in a pie dish instead of individual jars, but the upside to that is that you can serve yourself as big a slice as you want. Or, if you’re like me, you can just treat the entire pie as a jar and eat straight from it…

Shhh…don’t tell anyone!

Since there are so many elements to this dessert, I decided to scrap the homemade graham crackers and make a graham cracker crust instead. The secret to good homemade crust is to add a dash of cinnamon into the mix. It creates a better depth of flavor and adds to the crust immensely. I also added a little heavy cream which I found helped the crust stay together better when pressing it into the pie pan.

The ganache was easy. Just heat some butter and heavy cream together, pour it over some semi-sweet (dark) chocolate, allow it to sit, then stir ’til smooth. I’ve made so much ganache in my day, I could probably do it in my sleep. Once you pour this into the crust, refrigerate it until it’s set and firm, about 30 minutes, before adding the next layer of deliciousness.

The milk chocolate filling from the S’mores in a Jar was so unbelievably silky and thicker than your average pudding. That’s why I decided to make a pot de creme instead of pudding. They’re super similar, but pot de creme relies more on the egg yolks to thicken it rather than cornstarch, which is used to thicken puddings. Pot de creme tends to have a silkier feel that’s let gelatinous (so not an appetizing word). To intensify the richness of the chocolate, I also added just a little bit of instant espresso powder. I wasn’t able to fit all of the pot de creme into my pie. I had about 3/4 cup leftover, so I just poured it into a ramekin and allowed it to firm up to eat later. 

This pie wouldn’t be the showstopper that it is without the toasted marshmallow topping.

This ain’t your store-bought marshmallow fluff either. That stuff is good, but it’s way too runny to hold up on this pie. Homemade is really the only way to go. But don’t worry! It’s much easier than you think. Surprisingly, there are very few ingredients needed to make this magical fluff of the Goddesses.

You’re technically making a Swiss Meringue. It begins by stirring the egg whites and sugar in a large heat-proof bowl over simmering water until sugar is fully dissolved and the temperature reaches 160ºF. Cream of tartar is then added and the bowl is transferred to a stand mixer with a whisk, or a hand-mixer is used to whip the mixture to stiff, glossy peaks. Vanilla is added at the very end of the mixing process. And voila! You have yourself an impressive crown for your pie!

To toast the topping, I used a small kitchen torch which gave me complete control over how toasted I wanted my marshmallow topping. I know that the broiler can achieve a similar effect, but I’ve never tried it with this pie. If the broiler is your only option, than I would suggest no more than maybe 30-45 seconds and keeping a close eye on it the entire time it’s under.

I don’t think I could be happier or more satisfied with the results of this ambrosial pie. The only thing it’s probably missing is the homemade graham crackers. I guess I’ll just have to save that for another time because you can bet I’ll be making this pie for years and years to come!

S'more Pie

Layers of dark chocolate ganache, creamy milk chocolate pot de creme, and toasted marshmallow topping in a graham cracker crust!

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 Servings

Ingredients

  

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1 ⅓ cup graham crackers crushed (8 crackers)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 Tablespoons salted butter melted
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache:

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chips
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter

Chocolate Pot De Creme:

• 8 ounces milk chocolate chopped or chips
• 5 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅔ cup milk

Marshmallow Topping:

• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Make the Crust:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and heavy cream in a medium bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Make the Ganache:

• Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Combine heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan, stirring over medium heat until mixture is smooth and just begins to simmer. Pour over the chocolate, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Remove wrap, and stir until smooth. Pour the ganache into the crust. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until set.

Make the Pot De Creme:

• Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, both sugars, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and milk, stirring until smooth.
• Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture begins to boil, decrease the heat to low and continue stirring until the mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour mixture over the chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for about a minute. Remove the plastic wrap, and whisk until smooth. Pour custard* on top of the ganache layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Make the Marshmallow Topping:

• Add the egg whites** and sugar to a large heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until it the temperature hits 160ºF on a candy thermometer, about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan, add the cream of tartar, and beat mixture with an electric hand-mixer (or in a stand mixer) on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6 - 8 minutes. Add the vanilla near the very end. Spread on top of set chocolate filling. Toast the topping with a kitchen torch. Cut into slices and serve. Store leftover pie in the refrigerator.

Notes

*You will have about 3/4 cup leftover that won't fit into the pie. Just pour into one/two ramekins and refrigerate until set.

**Make sure there is absolutely NO egg yolk left in the whites.