This pie takes the familiar pleasures of a campfire s'more and reimagines them as a chilled, layered dessert. A toasted graham cracker crust provides the base for a smooth, rich chocolate pudding that sets in the refrigerator. The finishing touch is a Swiss meringue piped into mounds that recall marshmallows, then lightly browned with a kitchen torch. The result captures the essence of the classic treat while adding a bit of extra polish.
Info
- Cook time: 50 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 10 to 12 crackers)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350˚F. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until evenly moistened. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until the crust is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make the filling: Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it is almost simmering. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until a thick paste forms. Whisk about one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture until smooth. Return this mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken, about 2 minutes. Keep cooking and whisking until the mixture is as thick as pudding, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Finish the filling: Take the saucepan off the heat. Whisk in the chopped chocolate until it is fully melted and incorporated, then whisk in the butter until combined. Pour the filling into the cooled graham cracker crust and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
- Start the meringue: In a large heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), whisk together the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Place the bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is just hot to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Finish and assemble: Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in the vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch-wide tip. Pipe large marshmallow-size mounds over the surface of the pie, leaving a small border of the filling exposed. Pipe a second layer of slightly smaller mounds on top, then a third layer using the remaining meringue. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue (or toast it under the broiler). Refrigerate the pie until cooled before slicing, at least 1 hour.
