S'mores Pie
A favorite campfire treat transformed into a pie: graham crust, dark chocolate ganache and a fluffy marshmallow meringue.
Servings 1 9" inch pie
Equipment
- 1 9" pie pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 250g or 2 cups packed graham cookie crumbs or digestive cookies
- 113g or ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Chocolate ganache filling
- 285 g good quality chocolate preferably a mix of milk and dark chocolate (my ideal is 100g milk and 185g 70% dark)
- 300 g heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch fine sea salt
Marshmallow Meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 200g or 1 cup granulated sugar or use light brown sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
To make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Grind the cookies or crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Melt the butter, stir it into the crumbs along with the powdered sugar and salt. Press the wet crumb mix on the bottom of and up the sides of a 9 inch round pie pan in an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes then allow to chill completely before making the ganache.
To make the chocolate filling
- Chop the chocolate finely and place in a heatproof bowl. Set the heavy cream in a pot and turn heat to medium, cook for just a few minutes, until it bubbles on the sides and is steaming - don’t let it boil. Pour over the chocolate and stir briefly then let it set for a few minutes. Stir until smooth - this will take at least a full minute but don’t stop, the movement helps the chocolate melt correctly. Once smooth, add the vanilla and sea salt then pour into the chilled crust. Chill ganache for at least an hour before topping.
To make the meringue topping (the day of serving)
- Option 1, Swiss method (best for brown sugar meringue): set a pot filled a little less than halfway with water over medium low heat and bring the water to a simmer. Set a bowl over the pot (it shouldn't touch the water) and add the sugar then the egg whites to the bowl and quickly whisk well. Keep stirring, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, as the mixture heats. Lift the spatula and pinch some of the dropping liquid, if you cannot detect any sugar granules then it's done warming. Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer and affix the whisk attachment, start whisking on low then work up to medium (speed 6). Whip until you have stiff peaks, adding the salt and vanilla toward the end.
- Option 2, French method: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping the egg whites slowly, and once frothy, slowly pour in the sugar- very slowly to let the granules dissolve before adding too much at once. Once the sugar is all in, add the vanilla and salt. Whip until stiff peaks; when you can turn the whisk upside down and it holds shape.
- Dollop the meringue over the ganache then place in the fridge to chill. After about 30 minutes, torch the top with a kitchen torch.
- For clean slices, warm a knife under hot water then dry it and slice. Store leftovers in the fridge.