A year ago, I made s’mores from scratch and brought them to the Memorial Day barbecue on my friend Jocelyn’s roof, celebrating the thousands of other hottie uniformed types that had sailed in for Fleet Week. [I just spelled that “Weak.” It’s all so telling, innit?]
We assembled them from Nancy Silverton’s graham crackers from the La Brea Bakery cookbook, as featured on 101 Cookbooks, [which were, incidentally the most accurately-flavored homemade graham crackers I’ve baked, much closer that the ones I’d attempted a couple years ago from Retro Desserts] and Thomas Keller’s marshmallows, as featured on Cooking for Engineers, and packed them up with skewers for toasting and giant bars of Hershey’s milk chocolate (exactly what we used in summer camp).
Second only to the men in uniform, they were the hit of the party. And then I never told you about them, because I forgot to take pictures of the finished product. Really! I never meant to go this long. I had full intentions of making them again over the course of the summer, and actually shooting the toasting and gooey eating process, but it never happened and now I bet you’re all mad at me for holding out.
Or, you would be if I were not making it up to you today with something I declare an even bigger hit: S’more Pie. I brought this to this year’s* barbecue, sadly Marine-free, the same one where my friend Molly made her killer ribs. It was gone in 60 seconds. It was declared the best thing I’ve ever made. In short: people go ape schizz over s’mores.
That said, I had my doubts going into this recipe, which had been featured (oddly enough, as I consider s’mores a summer thing) in a Thanksgiving issue of Gourmet. I expected cloying sweetness, a gooey, hard to slice pie and a flavor that didn’t match the burnt-edged marshmallow, puddle of chocolate and graham cracker crunch of my summer camp memories, but I made it anyway because even an average attempt at s’more-y goodness is never a bad thing.
I was dead wrong on each concern. This was better than real s’mores, in a grown up and awesome way. I’d skipped the salt and used salted butter in the graham cracker crust, which was a toasty and delicious contrast to the sugary topping. The chocolate layer was bittersweet, thanks to the 70 percent we used (though you could use milk chocolate if you wanted a more classic flavor). And though the marshmallow layer was indeed as sweet as you’d expect marshmallows to be, it was held in check by the other two layer’s barely-there sweetness.
And then I forgot to take pictures of a serving the gooey final product again because we were too busy eating it. But this time, I’m not waiting a year to get you all caught up. I don’t want to cause mutiny on the smittenkitchen bounty.
* Navel-Gazing Aside: One of the funniest things about cataloging my kitchen endeavors is seeing how cyclical my cooking inclinations are. Without realizing it before now, I have made a graham cracker dessert every May for the last three years–and not any other month–and now I realize that I brought the same dessert–s’mores–to two Memorial Day barbecues in a row (with a Strawberry-Rhubarb dessert in the days before). Wait, this interests nobody but me? Shocking!
One year ago: Zucchini Carpaccio Salad
Smore Pie
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2006
Don’t be daunted by the number of steps in this pie–it is surprisingly simple to make, yes, even the marshmallows.
The biggest trick with the marshmallows is how messy they are. You’ll be tempted to break a strand of marshmallow between the bowl and your pie with your finger, it will then stick to your finger and you’ll use another finger to clean that one off and end up with sticky cobweb hands and strings of marshmallow everywhere, so don’t do it–use another spatula instead. Trust me, this has happened to me each time.
Of course, you could take a lot of shortcuts. You could buy an already-prepped graham cracker crust and/or you could line the chocolate layer with store-bought marshmallows and toast them instead. But then how would you play “Look! I’ve Got Spiderman Hands!” in the kitchen?
For crust
5 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing
1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (10 graham crackers or 24 small gingersnaps; about 6 oz, pulsed in a food processor until finely ground)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (omitted if you use salted butter)
For chocolate cream filling
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not more than 70% cacao; not unsweetened), finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, at room temperature for 30 minutes
For marshmallow topping
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz package)
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil for greasing
Special equipment: a candy thermometer
Make graham cracker crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pie 9- to 9 1/2-inch pie plate. Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and press evenly on bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
Make chocolate cream filling: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Gently whisk in egg and a pinch of salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).
Cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.
Make marshmallow topping: Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.
Stir together sugar, corn syrup, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in cleaned 1- to 1 1/4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until thermometer registers 260°F, about 6 minutes.
Begin beating water and gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed, then carefully pour in hot syrup in a slow stream, beating (avoid beaters and side of bowl). When all of syrup is added, increase speed to high and continue beating until mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined, then immediately spoon topping onto center of pie filling; it will slowly spread to cover top of pie. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour, then cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and chill 3 hours more.
Brown topping: Preheat broiler. Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Cover edge of pie with pie shield or foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, rotating pie as necessary, until marshmallow topping is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 10 minutes. Slice pie with a large heavy knife dipped in hot water and then dried with a towel before cutting each slice.
[Alternately: I browned the topping with a creme brulee torch. It took some time and didn’t get as brown as I think it would have under the broiler (the pie was still cold, and hard to heat up with a small flame) but it does work in a pinch, or when you’re away from the oven.]
Note: Pie (before browning topping) can be chilled up to 1 day.
wonderful and so in tune with the season! i love making my own marshmallow too and those graham crackers are the best ones I have tried to make at home. Gorgeous photo.
Wow, this looks incredible. I LOVE s’mores, which is secretly one of my favorite reasons for going up to Maine each summer… to make s’mores over open flames. I’ll have to try this pie (if I ever have enough people to feed it to… looks like a bit much for just two!)
Oh my, this looks amazing. I made a similar pie but with sweet potato instead of chocolate filling. But nothing tops chocolate.
YUM. My mouth is watering :)
If you do happen to make the s’mores again, please share :) I’d love to see the end product.. I love marshmallows and anything they’re in!
Deb,
Your cyclical cooking interests me! I noticed it when you made the strawberry rhubarb pie. That is when I thought about the fantastic strawberry rhubarb crumble I got from this site last year. I went looking for it, and I realized it was almost exactly a year prior! While I have not mustered up the courage to make my own pie crust (I did have intentions to do so over the holidays, but ran out of time) the crumble is back in my summer rotation.
This recipe looks as good as it sounds. I am going to make this recipe soon. I even have farm fresh heavy cream in my fridge. Thanks for the great post.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets mashmallow Spiderman hands… I can’t wait to make this.
I love s’mores, and often keep the ingredients on hand to (gasp) make a quick one in the microwave. (Don’t tell anybody.)
A grown-up pie version, however, makes it all the more appropriate to eat them. Gotta try this. Yum!
Wow this is just what’s on my NEW diet plan…sweets sweets and MORE sweets! I could just plotz!
Wow, this looks so good! I’m already putting it on hold for a Fourth of July dessert. It looked so good, I linked it on my blog: http://vixeninthekitchen.blogspot.com!
I’d love to try making my own graham crackers. I’m sure they’re much more healthy than the kind you buy out of the box. Your pie looks scrumptious. Smores are one of my favorite treats!
This looks really great. And it makes sense to use the torch for browning the marshmellows. Once I tried a kind of a smores bar recipe and it called for browning the top in the broiler. My pan of bars kept catching on fire! Not a good method.
i have not had a s’mores anything since the last summer i got kicked out of girl scouts (yes, i actually got kicked out of girl scouts, but hey, their loss!) this pie looks really delish!
This was our dessert after the ribs I made on Memorial Day. It was amazing. AMAZING!
Sounds great!
Could you leave one in the freezer until October?
Thanks.
I really want to make this tonight!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who does things in cycles! Thanks for posting all those pictures. That looks like a great pie.
Uhm… I need this in my life. That? Looks AMAZING.
OK, that looks awesome. For last year’s s’mores, did you make the marshmallows, too? Or does that require commercial kitchen gadgetry?
Also, random question: in the last photo, it looks like the knife is attached to that person’s arm :-( Is that diamondy-thing in the upper righthand corner a bracelet?
I made the marshmallows last year. The recipe is Thomas Keller’s, as featured on Cooking for Engineers and according to people I know who have made marshmallows with several disappointing recipes in the past, this is the best recipe out there.
As for that last photo, I had to stare at it for like a minute before I could figure it out! (It’s a terrible photo, but all we had.) If you look closely, it’s my left hand (I’m a southpaw) with, yes, my engagement ring on it (which looks way huger than it actually is) wrapped around the knife handle, holding it up at a frightening-looking angle (trying to make a cut through the crust’s side) and my right hand, looking like it’s about to be severed, holding the pie plate in place.
Making this. Now. Immediately. Yes it’s 11pm. Want. Want. Akdsnkjdsns yum.
Those look like City Bakery marshmallows!
Sorry…I’m a bit obsessed.
Deb, for the love of humanity, invest in a real blow torch! Those crummy little “creme brulee” torches are an abomination. An actual blow torch will run you $30 at the hardware store, and it will caramelize your marshmallows/creme brulees/cold buttercream in NO time. Quicker than the broiler without the risk of melting your lovely ganache! That being said, that is one sexy looking pie. I am going to be making this for everyone I know several times this summer!
I love that marshmallow recipe from Cooking With Engineers. I made them- yes, I got the spider web hands, it was fun!- and then rolled them in melted dark chocolate and then again in graham cracker crumbs. After about 30-45 minutes in the freezer, they are a cool and fun treat that makes little kids really really happy. And amped up on sugar.
The pie looks terrific!! I am all for something S’mores. I love them to death.
TO ALL READERS of Smitten Kitchen. I swear this was the best thing she has ever baked. No kidding. It was sooooo good I had two pieces. TWO! Ha! & everyone else only got one. Nah Nah Nah. Yum yum yum!
Oh yum, I love s’mores! I made a s’mores bar cookie by Alice Medrich once, being nothing more than graham cracker crust with a ton of mini marshmallows, chopped up milk chocolate, and toasted walnuts to cover… and it was so incredibly and addictively delicious! You always forget how delicious the combination is, and this pie version looks even better. :)
I wonder if this marshmallow you’ve made can be used in the Fantasy Fudge recipe on the back of Marshmallow Cream? We don’t have MCream in Australia and this would be the answer to my fudgy problems!
any tested and true tips for vegetarian marshmallows? anyone? i want!
This looks fantastic!! From the photos, it looks like you first made the graham crackers from scratch and then made the crust with those crackers. Maybe this is a dumb question, but couldn’t you just make the graham cracker recipe in the pie plate to begin with? Or maybe do the graham cracker recipe with the additional crust ingredients all together? Please, tell me I can have homemade goodness without the extra step of rolling out and baking cracker dough!
Oh I love your blog~The food looks so good yet is not pretentious. I definitely want to try this one.
Mahalo!
Don’t take this the wrong way…but you’ve got to get rid of the wussy and expensive creme brulee torch and buy a real propane torch from the hardware store. They’re cheap and the propane canisters last forever…not to mention that they work fast for cooking purposes. See how well it worked with the S’mores Tart I made a couple of months ago here: http://melissamckelvey.com/?p=152
Wine Virgin — Upon hearing that Alex would not *let* me get a creme brulee torch (I’m clumsy, very clumsy. And this building is very old, and surely quite flammable.) my best friend got that for me for Hanukah gift. It may not be strong, but I’m very fond of it.
Shelly — I haven’t tried it before/am not familiar with the brand. Hopefully someone else can weigh in?
Kelley — Sorry, no idea. But if you follow back in the link to Cooking for Engineers, I think people discuss this in his comments.
Christina — The graham crackers that are homemade are from an earlier s’more endeavor. The recipe is linked in the story.
Oh wow – this looks amazing!! I LOVE smores….this looks even better!!!
What a great idea! Looks wonderfully deadly.
This does look amazing. I may have to get over my fear of using a candy thermometer. If not, I think I have to find someone to make this for me.
I don’t think you can go wrong with smores of any type..a pie, an individual one..they are just wonderful.
Every year at about this time, I think about what kind of birthday cake I want in August. And now I know. I want this one. Except I want it now, not later. :)
I think I have gained 10 pounds just by looking at that chocolate and that oozing marshmallow, Deb. :)
This looks great! How long do you think I can leave it out for after the marshmallow topping gets broiled? Is the inside chocolate layer still supposed to be cold when serving?
That looks so incredible! Amazing.
Oh my gosh I’m drooling!!
Unfortunately my husband and I are positively anti-beef ingredients (it’s a long story), and gelatin qualifies : ( I’ve bought fish-gelatin based kosher marshmallows in supermarket around Passover time, and they taste delicious, but I’ve never seen a source for fish gelatin itself. Maybe I can find something online. I’m sad: I’d love to try this recipe!!
FLaH — I start practically the day after my birthday the year before. ;)
Joanna — It’s best to eat it right away. Our chocolate layer stayed cold, however, had we done it in a broiler and not with a much-maligned in this comment section creme brulee torch, it may have warmed up as well.
bon appetit had a recipe like this that i was drooling over last night… now this! i may have to make this soon :)
a quick search found this http://www.vegsoc.org/info/gelling.html for gelatin sub’s
This is an incredible coincidence. The day after Thanksgiving last year I went to my dentist. In his waiting room was a copy of the Gourmet issue. Since I was the first patient of the day, it was just enough time for me to find this recipe in the magazine, but not enough time to copy it. I spent weeks thinking about it.
Next week, I am going on vacation in the woods. This is the perfect recipe to kick off the start of a perfect week. I cannot believe that finally, this recipe found me again. I’m definitely going to be trying it!
Thank you! Your site and recipes are inspiring!
holy moley. i think i could eat a whole bowl of that marshmallow topping! i wonder if you could use it to top some cupcakes…hrm.
Deb- looks AMAZING! What’s the texture of the chocolate layer like?
It’s almost custardy. In fact, my mind was blown that creating a rich, custard-like deep chocolate was as simple as adding an egg to ganache and baking it. Want. More. Now.
Rachael – look for fish-based gelatin at homebrew stores – it’s called isinglass. Homebrewers use it to clarify their beer (I use a different type of gelatin, but I’ve seen it at the store). If there aren’t homebrew stores near you, you could try http://www.austinhomebrew.com (I was gonna say northernbrewer.com as well, but their site is being super slow) good luck!
I made that recipe when that issue came out and just let me tell you…. it did NOT come remotely close to the way yours looks. Talk about perfection.
Wow, this looks fabulous. I’m definitely making this soon.
You are so bad for my diet, it’s not even funny. Okay, I’m kidding. There’s no diet. But you’re not helping. Gorgeous. Showed this to the hubby and he went, and I quote, “WOAAAAAH.”
Yum! I am not a huge milk chocolate fan, so this is a refreshing way to get my recommended yearly S’mores intake. I think I’ll pair a slice (or a whole pie) with some citrusy Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee.
wow. that looks great. and i’m not saying that just cause i’m drunk and in the middle of a party but i think s’mores require a lot of effort in my opinion. and that’s just perfect.mmm.
hungry.
Oh my . . . it’s like a giant s’more you can eat with a fork and no sticky goo on your chin. Perfection!
Thank you for sharing!
Deb, I’ve just whiled away a good hour or so reading your blog – safe to say you have another fan! Everything looks and sounds so amazing, including this s’mores pie. Alas, I’m in the UK and graham crackers are had to find, but I can imagine how good it is.
I never thought I’d see a gourmet recipe for s’mores! This looks like it must be the most delicious s’mores dish ever. I might have to break my diet to try it.
You can come to my house anytime…that looks deadly delicious!
this is mindblowing. i’m totally making it for our dinner party in a couple of weeks!
Better than real S’mores?! That’s crazy talk! I’m going to have to have a party just so I can make this.
Hopefully my little tiny baby blog {www.hotgarlic.blogspot.com} will someday be half as good as yours. Your blog is FABULOUS! It is so well put together, everything looks delicious, your photography is gorgeous… Any advice?
Thanks!
Another seriously beautiful pie. A previously unknown reason to buy a torch. I’ve already purchased 3 things off your Amazon list, now this! What’s next, the Canon flash for my Nikon? :)
So perfect. I made this tonight and can not wait to have another piece tomorrow! The grahm crackers were so easy to make and so good. It will be difficult going back to the store kind. Thanks Deb for making my culinary dreams come ture. :)
This is so freeeaky. The newest issue of the Australian Donna Hay magazine has smores sitting perfectly stacked on the front cover. it’s like a sign..telling me to TRY MAKING SMORES. i’ve never had one. =(
where the freaking heck do you get kosher gelatin? I cannot find the dang stuff. I know I saw it somewhere, once, but that was before I wanted to make marshmallows for Christmas treats. And now, I can’t find them anywhere. So, how could I make halel s’more pie?
Well, now I’ve read the comments and someone posted for fish based gelatin- thanks. I’ll have to special order it online and not be spur of the moment about it.
(Well, Christmas is so long gone that the spurred moment is too.)
Hi. It’s my first time commenting! Your stuff is sooooo delicious looking. You can come around to my bbq bash anytime! ;)
This looks like so much fun to create! I can only imagine how impressive it is to show up at a party with homemade marshmallows and graham crackers – what an accomplishment!
I’ve never heard of fish-based gelatin, but there is vegetarian seaweed-based gelatin called ‘agar-agar’. You can find it in asian markets in small packets for about $1 each. One brand has a white background with a telephone on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar
I’m going to make this recipe tonight (using agar-agar) and will post my results.
lomagirl — This store, koshervitamins.com, sells fish-based gelatin. Don’t know whether the product itself is, but the store sounds like it should be.
I made this last night! It was so much fun.
i love that you made it with homemade marshmallows and homemade graham crackers – how amazing! i’m completely impressed and i really want to try it. i’m sure it tastes so much better than if the grahams and mallows were packaged.
My friend and I made this the other night… It was so delicious and a really fun receipe. Thank you for sharing!
Oooo… this might be what we’ll take to the end of the school year pool party on Saturday. Will have to consult the Madster, who wants to take lemon icebox pie (not a good candidate for sitting in the heat, eh?)
Cyclical cooking — I’d say you’re cooking seasonally, but I’m not sure what would be seasonal about graham crackers…or marshmallows. Maybe you went camping in May as a child?
The pie looks divine!!!!
I’ve had s’mores on the brain lately. It must be something with the beginnings of spring in chicago. And the lurking desire in that is that i really want to make my own marshmellows. You make it look suspiciously easy…perhaps I will finally get up the gumption to give it a go.
This is fantastic! I’ve been a lurker for awhile, but I couldn’t resist a comment–it looks wonderful.
Reading your food blog has inspired me to start my own!
My hips hate you, cause I’m soo going to make that pie;) Yummm
Although I like to think of myself as a foodie, marshmallows and maraschino cherries are tied as my favorite foods. This pie looks heavenly and is going to be made in mini version in short order- that’ll deal with slicing difficulties. Now if only there were a recipe on this planet featuring my second favorite food that was worthy of your impressive kitchen.
Ok, I made this today, and I have to say, I see why it was in the November issue of Gourmet. It was freakin’ hot today, and I served this during a cookout and it was largely overlooked, though it was completely delicious. I look forward to bringing it back once the evenings are crisp again.
I made this this past weekend. It was gone in about 10 min. and there were only 7 people eating it! I used a pre-made crust because I was making about 75 other things and didn’t want to deal with cleaning the food processor again and it was still really good. Had to make the topping twice because the first time my mom called just as the sugar was getting to the right temp and I ended up letting it go over, so it was too hard to mix in. Other than that (which was totally my fault) this went perfectly. Everyone loved crowding around the oven to watch the marshmallow topping puff up and brown. So much fun! Thanks Deb!!
I don’t know how I missed this from Gourmet, but I’m adding it to my to-bake list.
Maybe for the potluck this Saturday or the upcoming block party????
This pie was delicious. Everyone was discussing whether the topping should be doubled or left as a single layer. I loved the marshmallow topping and could have had more. I used the torch to brown the top, it was fabulous.
Have you ever doubled the topping?
Whoaaa, this looks amazing. I still can’t get over that the marshmallows were made from scratch…I tried doing this once and it flopped, so I respect all marshmallow-makers. :)
i will try this but with packaged stuff. i have no patience to make marshmallow from scratch. i know it will not taste as good but… i’ve been thinking about S’mores pies for months now and you posting about it is a sign that i should get off my lazy ass and start baking. :) i might make this for father’s day.
I made this for my barbeque the other day; it, too was “gone in 60 seconds”! I even dropped a piece ON THE PATIO where my dogs walk, and someone scooped it right up and ate it. It was that good.
Today, I’m bringing it to a family function. I doubled the recipe and made a “s’more casserole. We’ll see how this works!
A friend served this to us at our gourmet group a few weeks back – it was even better than you described…and everyone, stuffed to the lobes from dinner and one serving of this pie, had seconds…all the while complaining about how full they were…but they kept right on eating…it was worth risking a ruptured bowel!
I’m going to make it today and serve it to the mister – for Father’s Day…what better gift could I give him?!? Thanks!
I made this weekend for a get together. It was absolutely amazing! Very rich. I used 60% cocoa chocolate because of a mishap at the grocery store and it was just awesome. People were very impressed with the marshmallow which is surprisingly easy to make and from ingrediants I have in my cabinet so, I may make it more often. I may double the marshmallow because I only have a deep dish pie pan and it made it a little thin. love your blog and pictures.
Oh. My. God. This looks like heaven. I will have to make this sometime!
First off, your site is wonderful and all your photos are gorgeous.
I HAD to make this recipe when I saw it. I love s’mores. So I made it last weekend to herald the first day of summer. Everyone LOVED it, including me. It did take a while to make, mostly due to having to cool each part before starting on the next. I wished for more marshmallow topping and might double it if I make this again. Mine also seemed a little runny — maybe I did something wrong. I used milk chocolate and it tasted great that way. I thought the crust was yummy and loved the tinge of saltiness — I highly encourage everyone not to use pre-made crust. The crust and chocolate filling could probably be made the day before if necessary. Anyway, thanks for a delicious treat! I might have to try your homemade graham crackers and marshmallows next.
I’ve got this cooling in my fridge right now, ready to take to my mom for her birthday tomorrow! I did use a bought crust, but made everything else and it looks amazing!
I just made two of these for a 4th of July picnic. I used a bought graham cracker crust as well, but made everything else. My marshmallow started out a little runny (not Spiderman consistency) so I just kept a’whippin’ and it eventually got there. The pies came out great and got the ultimate compliment – my 17-year-old Girl Scout camp counselor cousin took a bite and exclaimed, “It really does taste like a s’more!!” She would know, ya’ll.
Oh and I used 62% cacao & it was just bittersweet enough for MY liking but may do half-Hershey bar & half bittersweet next time to please the masses. Though believe me, they were plenty pleased as is!
Deb – This was fantastic! I loved the salty crust, the soft creamy bittersweet chocolate, and the gooey sweet marshmallow combined. I would highly recommend that you bake this again and then broil the top, because the chocolate softened up just a tad and had the perfect texture. People basically licked their plates clean and kept on raving about it the next day. My husband said that he had been thinking about ways to make money selling this pie, because it’s better than most that you get at bakeries. Me — I’ve been thinking up alternate versions — maybe a little chili powder in the chocolate part to add another layer of flavor to the pie. Or, maybe a thinner chocolate layer and a thin peanut butter layer. Mmmm…
Wow, I was looking for some ideas for kids’ treats but I think I’ll save this recipe for the grown-ups! Can’t wait to try it!
Looks awesome, I am wondering if the egg is necessary for the filling? Do you have an idea for an alternative to the egg?
I made this on Friday, I had trouble making the topping – when I added the hot syrup to the bowl, most of it hardened on the beaters and on the sides of the bowl. It took a good 20 minutes to get stiff. My final result was tasty, but I must have lost about a third of the sugar mixture to hardening. I wonder how to avoid this? Could you add the gelatin mixture into the hot syrup on the stove before transferring to the bowl for whipping? It was frustrating!
This pie looks wonderful, and I LOVE your graham crackers! I’m hosting a bonfire cookout in a few weeks and have been planning to make homemade marshmallows for s’mores, but oh, now I cannot wait to go completely over-the-top and make the crackers, too. :)
A question, if you don’t mind my asking – I followed the link you posted to 101 Cookbooks and noticed that the crackers in those pics are quite a bit darker than yours. I prefer the look of yours and was wondering whether I should tweak the original recipe so that mind are lighter in color like yours. Thanks a bunch!
Can’t attest to why mine are lighter — it could be varied ingredients, baking time or just lighting or photo editing. The flavor of the graham crackers is fantastic — you’ll love them.
Just happened upon this post and will definitely be making this on this summer! LOVE S’MORES!
I made this pie for a picnic last weekend. I loved it! It’s got great chocolate flavor, but it’s not over the top. I will definitely make this again!
Could one use your recent “Springy, Fluffy Marshmallow” recipe for the topping in leiu of the one posted here?
I don’t see why not, but you’ll need a lot less of it.
I just made these in cupcake form, and everyone loved them. So perfect for 4th of July, and perfect in general – as always!
My partner and I tried making this recipe only to find that when we got to the marshmallow part, the substance would not thicken enough to pour onto the pie, we had to opt out and use marshmallow cream. Would altitude influence this issue?
Sara, you may simply have to spend more time beating the mixture.
I have made homemade marshmallows more times than I care to remember and also marshmallow frosting for Martha Stewart’s divine chocolate graham cracker cupcakes.
For both recipes, there have been times I have actually sat on my floor with the mixer and bowl because it took so long! But it always does happen. I’d try again and keep chugging at it for around 10 minutes. It shouldn’t take longer than that.
God I love you! thank you so much for posting this recipe!
I made it for Thanksgiving…one word awesome!!
Only issue I found with recipe is the temp of the marshmallow…made marshmallows a hundred times temp should be 240.
Thanks again!
Deb,
My apologies if you or a poster addressed this question already; Is the marshmallow layer similar in texture to Marshmallow Fluff or regular marshmallows?
This looks fantastic! Anyone have insight as to how to make the marshmallow layer vegetarian (without gelatin)?
Is there anyway I could make the marshmallow without gelatin?
Has anyone made this with any gelatin substitutes like Carrageen, Agar-agar, or vege-gel? I’m curious as to whether I would need to change the recipe at all if using a gelatin substitute.
Hi Deb! I wanted to share my experiences with this recipe at high altitude. I live right around 5400 ft. Usually for candy making, they recommend subtracting 2 degrees per 1000 ft. I found that heating the sugar to 240 degree F for the marshmallow topping worked best for me. Any higher and it kept hardening. I have more details here:
http://foodforscot.blogspot.com/2010/04/smore-pie.html
This pie was delicious!
I want to make this for some friends, who will adore it I know, one of whom is vegan. I can’t find any veggie gelatin here. However I have for years made a really good marshmallow frosting (egg whites, hot corn syrup) that everyone loves. Is there any reason that wouldn’t work? I know it won’t set up, but it should brown on top…?? and will taste marshmallowy. I know its speculation, but what do you think?
AmyB — I bet that would work. I’m trying to remember where… BINGO. Right, so years ago I saw someone on the Martha Show brulee that classic marshmallow/7-minute/whatever-you-want-to-call-it frosting with a torch. It’s not as firm as marshmallows, but is infinitely delicious and I’m sure it could work here.
Sorry I meant vegetarian, not vegan!
I’ve tried this pie twice now, and (probably due to my own laziness, since I keep trying without a candy thermometer) I just cannot get the marshmallow to come together. I’ve tried beating for almost 20 minutes at this point! Is a candy thermometer an absolute must have? I ended up just using marshmallow fluff on top this time – which worked just fine. Additionally, I’m sure you saw, but I was surprised to see this same exact recipe show up in the NYT as someone elses! (from May 17th)
This recipe was a big hit with my friends, especially since I caught the marshmallow on fire in my broiler. Even though the mallow charred, it peeled off and still tasted delicious. Thanks, Deb!
This was the perfect pie for Father’s Day. Thanks for the recipe! It was delicious!
HI!!!! I can’t find the corn syrop where I live, but I was wandoring if I could use some regular marshmallow fluff?? and how could I do it??
For those having problems with the marshmallows:
My candy thermometer is broken, so I just went with Deb’s estimate of 6 minutes of boiling. The mixture started out very, very runny in the KitchenAid, but eventually came together. However, it took closer to 20 minutes than 5. Keep beating!
Hi Deb! I have a friend’s birthday who’s coming up soon, and she really loves marshmallows. I made whoopie pies with a marshmallow filling the other day, but she’s not a fan of chocolate… Well they’re just a vehicle for the marshmallows to get into her mouth, heh. I was wondering… could I make these with regular marshmallows? For the whoopie pies, I melted mini marshmallows in the microwave with a little water. Would that work for this pie? Thanks!
I am sure it would work. But you could just spread them out on top and brulee them or run them under the broiler… no need to melt them down.
I would love to make this for a friend who loovveess s’mores, but would I be able to make it the night before?
Will the marshmallow topping harden too much if it is kept over night?
Elle — I think it should work. I might put a piece of oiled plastic wrap over the top overnight to keep it from drying and brulee it right before serving it.
Elle–I made this last year for thanksgiving and refrigerated it overnight, just took it out a few hours before serving to bring the filling back up to room temperature, then stuck it under the broiler to toast the top (watch it closely!). It worked perfect and was a HUGE hit with the family! I’m making it again for my bookclub’s thanksgiving get together on Saturday.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. Personally, I love the fruit pies and cream pies more but the chocoholics voted this in!
This was a messy, but huge hit at a potluck last weekend. I was shorter on time than I would have liked, so I melted down store-bought marshmallows for the topping. Not nearly as pretty as yours! This was a very easy recipe though, and I just kept washing out the same one bowl for each step. Gotta love that. Thanks for the great recipe, as always.
I have a question about the marshmallow-making: Can a hand-mixer handle it?
(I have a cuisinart 5-speed, and about 2 weeks ago in an attempt to make a different marshmallow recipe -using agar rather than gelatin- my mixer bit the dust. I just got my new one – a replacement via the warrenty – in the mail) Should I worry that this recipe will kill my new mixer? And if so, do you have any hand-mixer friendly alternative suggestions for topping off this awesome pie?
In theory, it should work but marshmallows have a real thick/heaviness to their batter so if it seems like it’s putting to much wear on your handmixer’s motor, you should probably quit while you’re ahead.
Deb, I have never been disappointed by any of your recipes I’ve tried! Next Monday, 3/14 is Pie (Pi) day and me and my fellow *geeks* at work are throwing a Pie (Pi) party (3/14 at 1:59pm). I’m a chocolate lover and not really into fruit pies so I was immediately drawn to this recipe. FYI, I went straight to your site when we made this plan. The thing is, I am in the process of moving and don’t have access to much of my kitchen tools, so I need to take some of the short cuts (gasp!) you mentioned. Two questions:
1. I bought mini marshmallows & initially thought it would look really cute to do a circular pattern with them instead of melting them down to goop. But now I’m having doubts- thoughts?
2. I will have to prepare this at home and can’t reheat at work. Do you think the pie will still be yummy, or hardened & difficult to cut? Does the fact that the pie wont be warm affect your answer to question #1?
I don’t think you should have a problem with either. I really want to make this again for Pi Day!
I made this last week (and might make it again tonight for Pi Day) and didn’t have time to make the marshmallow topping. I used one jar of Fluff brand marshmallow fluff and then covered that with mini marshamallows. This is too late to help Emily (comment #130), but it was delicious and I thought people should know that taking this shortcut does not leave the pie lacking.
Oh! Also, be very careful if browning it under the broiler. I walked out of the room for about 45 seconds on my first attempt and came back to a blackened flaming pie. Luckily I was able to scrap off the burnt marshamallows and replace them with more. This time I browned it with the oven door open and under constant watch. Took about 30 seconds for a lovely light brown.
I am from Australia and was wondering what sort of flavourand texture Graham crackers have. We don’t get them here and I have no idea what would be the most similar biscuit that we do have. I have wanted to try smores for years, I had a rather failed attempt with some lattice biscuits but was told that they are not the right sort, too sweet but wasn’t given any indication of what would have been a better choice.
You can use digestive biscuits, if you can get them.
Trying this pie again this weekend. The first one looked beautiful, but went up in flames (literally) under the broiler. This one, I’ll pit a bit lower down in the oven, will leave the door open a bit and watch it like a hawk.
Oh I do love s’more pie. My version uses premade marshmallow fluff for the topping, but it is soooo good, and whenever I make one I invariably make another the same week. They have been a hit wherever I’ve brought them (including to kids’ classrooms when they’re having a party at school). This was fun to read about another version. Thanks for sharing it.
After a year of visiting this recipe, I finally made it for fourth of July. Like others, I had some trouble with marshmallow topping (hardened in mixer, though this can probably be attributed to quality of mixer) and ended up just melting down marshmallows. It was good, although perhaps a little chewier than I thought it would be (perhaps due to marshmallow melting). The chocolate was more the consistency of ganache. Since it was a little hard to cut, I was thinking that this could also be good as individual pies, too.
Side note: You really are such a talented cook, writer, and photographer. It’s a joy to read (and try) your recipes.
That is absolutely the greatest thing I have ever seen. I am going to make like fourteen of these and pass them off as christmas presents this year.
And people better be happy about it, too.
Made this tonight in celebration of Halloween/autumn.. Best pie ever, for real. SO easy, and SO palatable. Thanks a million, Deb!
For anyone that doesn’t have an efficient broiler: I was pressed for time, so I gave the following notion a shot — at about 18 minutes into the ganache pie’s baking, I added the marshmallows (enough to cover most of the pie’s superficial area). I then popped it back into the oven, and the remaining 7 minutes of baking resulted in a wonderful amalgam of perfectly cooked chocolate heaven topped with the most lovely toasted, golden-brown marshmallows.
This is definitely becoming a staple in my holiday repertoire — I can’t wait to tell the world about this flawless recipe!
I made this recipe over the weekend. Everyone loved it, but I didn’t so much. The chocolate layer did not taste very “chocolatey” and most of it seemed to seep into crust while baking, making the layer very thing. It did, however, have a wonderful texture. Maybe next time I will try more chocolate and less cream. What do you think? Also, I let the broiled pie cool for at least an hour before cutting, but it was a runny mess. Each piece seemed intact, but virtually all of the marshmallow topping ran off of the pie. Why do you think this happened?
Made this yesterday for my best friend’s birthday. It was a HUGE hit! She loves anything chocolate marshmallow. I was amazed at how beautifully silky the chocolate layer was, and the marshmallow was not as challenging asI had envisioned. Your recipes are divine – thank you for sharing them :)
Hi– I’ve made this pie several times but the last time was the best because of a HUGE mistake that turned out to be a blessing: To toast the marshmallow, I accidentally put the pie to close to the heating element in the broiler and set my pie ON FIRE. Luckily, a quick-thinking friend just blew out all the flames. And then we ate it. Oh HELL yeah. This topping is meant to be fired. I swear.
Thank you for this. And if the torching of marshmallows wasn’t enough, I have discovered the perfect pièce de résistance to up the awesomeness: smoked salt. Hello, campfire! And now, I am off to win a pie contest.
Also how do you think the baked chocolate filling compares to just a bittersweet ganache?
I suppose you could just use a ganache but we did really enjoy this filling.
I made this pie for a birthday a few months ago and it was great! It seems long to make with all the steps but actually really easy!
I made this pie over the weekend and next time I won’t be adding sugar to the crust. This is rich/sweet enough and I think the pie would benefit from a more salty crust. It was good but it needs tweaking, IMO.
Deb, have you tried Nigella’s Girdlebuster pie? I haven’t made it yet but it sounds like another very sweet-but-grown-up pie: digestive biscuit base, coffee ice cream and a solidified topping of golden syrup, bourbon, cream and butter.
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/girdlebuster-pie
Am I the only one who can’t figure out the marshmellows? I’m on my third try, first too cool, second too hot, and I cracked my thermometer and I’m going to try and wing it the third time. I should mention I’m at 6500 ft. elevation, but hey! We like marshmallows too! I just want to eat a flipping smore pie and it’s seemed to take eons to make.
Hi,
could you use your homemade marshmellow recipe for the topping instead of the one referenced here? The one that you uses egg? If so, would you cut that recipe in half?
Lynda — I haven’t tried it here (I am not sure of how well those marshmallows toast, to be honest, though if you skim through the comments, many people report back on toasting). I would definitely halve or 1/3 it.
I just stumbled upon this recipe and plan to make it this weekend. You said ‘electric mixer’ in the marshmallow section of the directions. I assume you used a handheld electric mixer, but will a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a whisk attachment work?
Also, I plan to make this a day ahead, should I let it come up to room temp before putting it under the broiler (I was going to let it sit in the fridge overnight)?
I just looked at your other marshmallow recipe and see you used your stand mixer for that, so I assume it’ll be fine with this as well since they appear to be very similar.
Made this tonight to celebrate Pi day and the release of the Veronica Mars movie (she’s a marshmallow!). Upon realizing my graham crackers were old and funny tasting, I punked out and went store bought crust, ghirradelli chips, and regular marshmallows on top. Broiled barely 45 seconds to the nice crunchy toasted brown. Not bad for a Friday night after taking 90 minutes and three trips to put the baby to sleep. I think I want to try this ganache strategy to retrofit the Baked cookbook’s Almond joy tarts. Thanks for being my #1 go to Deb!
Made this last night for dinner with friends. The good part- the crust and filling was delicious. I used Trader Joe’s cinnamon graham crackers (which aren’t homemade but taste better than Honeymaid type ones) and it was wonderful. If maybe a bit too buttery- I might cut back 1 tablespoon of butter. the filling was a revelation. I used Guittard semisweet chocolate. Who knew one little egg would change a ganache into a filling like that? Now the bad part- I didn’t get the point of the marshmallow. It worked fine, broiled up nicely but just was meh. When we ate the pie the whole marshmallow portion would slide off the top and the flavor was just blah. I think you’d get more of a toasted flavor with a meringue topping. Or I might just put whipped cream on top next time which would be far easier.
Made this for Pi Day and loved it! I took all the shortcuts. Used 6 pre-made small graham cracker pie crusts and marshmallow fluff instead of homemade. It turned out great!
Notes on the shortcuts: There was some leftover filling that I just baked in a ramekin, and the 7 oz marshmallow filling did not cover all the pies. Also, maybe my broiler is hotter than average or my rack was higher, but they were done after a minute thirty seconds.
Chocolate part very bittersweet and dark. Kids were not impressed. I liked it, though.
Made this for my early July 4th party! It was a hit. I made it in a square pan as smores squares instead of a pie. I cut them up and put them on plates brownie-style, and they were gone in 5 minutes.
This is my big 4th of July splurge dessert and it’s in my fridge chilling now. Making marshmallow was so fun! I was amazed it worked! I love multi-layered dessert projects like this. THANK YOU! Will let you know how it turns out!
I can’t believe I didn’t comment on this recipe yet! Scatterbrain.
I made this for our company 4th of July picnic and it was the only chocolate pie and first to disappear. Only crumbs remained. I made it again for a party with friends, but forgot it at home, much to my husband’s delight. He doesn’t have a sweet tooth but loved this.
I didn’t brulee it the first time, but did the second under the broiler, and it’s definitely worth the extra effort.
I want to adapt it into bars next time, due to how rich it can be. Thanks Deb!
Hi Deb! I would love to make this for my husband. The only thing he maybe loves more than s’mores is peanut butter, and combine the two? I might as well not even be in the room ha! Is there any way you would suggest incorporating peanut butter into this? Maybe adding peanut butter to the chocolate creme filling? Would the chocloate peanut butter glaze from your chocolate peanut butter cake work, or would it be the wrong texture? Have I asked enough questions yet? Thanks for you help, I’m a huge fan!
This pie was a MAJOR hit. Several modifications (first class pies made a version of this, so I kind of combined both). I did not make my own graham crackers :) I used 8 oz of chocolate, 4 each of milk and semi-sweet, and it was PERFECT. I added 1/4 t of fine sea salt to the chocolate pudding (SO GOOD). It took 10 minutes to whip the mixture into a really fluff, and I used the whisk attachment. Seriously, LOVED this. Thank you!
OH, and I used 6T of butter, not 5. Perfection. (Also, I usually can’t stand people who list all the modifications that they made (because then they usually complain :) ), but mine were in response to previous comments, so maybe that excuses it??! Either way, such a great dessert.
Ok, one final annoying comment – I didn’t chill it for more than an hour (first time) and left it at room temperature – I wouldn’t chill it in the future b/c it would be too chilly :)
I just made this for Pi Day at my husband’s office and it’s sitting on the counter after I toasted the marshmallow (which was really easy under the broiler! but it does make me want a culinary torch). My house smells like toasted marshmallows, which is amazing. I unfortunately won’t get to try it as I’m sending it to work with him but it looks and smells great so I think it’ll be a hit!
I feel like a fun category would be things made to taste like other things, like this or the ice cream sundae cake. These are some of my favorites. :)
Could this be made into smores bars? Or is the filling too gooey to stand up with no crust?
It’s been a while since I made this, so I cannot say for sure, but it might be a little soft.
I made this pie this weekend and it was delicious!! I attempted to make the marshmallows using vegan Bakol Jel. It did not work. I reviewed several blogs with recipes for vegan marshmallows, and they all called for using agar agar. I found one that called for agar agar and egg whites, which gives a strong enough protein structure to fluff up into nice marshmallows. I’ll give that a try next time. Overall, tasty recipe!
I just made this and it’s delicious! The marshmallow top is quite runny but I added too much corn syrup after misreading the recipe. Still great though! Worth setting off the smoke alarm getting that perfect browned top.
This was delicious. I forgot to add the egg to the ganache but it was still delicious. I also didn’t have a candy thermometer and the marshmallow topping still came together just fine, I just let it simmer for 6 minutes like the recipe said.
For the ganache, I made it using a trick my mom taught me. I grind the chocolate in the food processor (way easier and less messy than chopping it with a knife) and then you had the hot cream while the food processor is going and you have effortless ganache.
If you were going to make this with pre-made marshmallows, would you opt for full-size or mini? Also, would it be okay to use chocolate chips for the chocolate cream filling? (Thinking about what might be available during quarantine…)
I’d use full-size for the full s’mores effect. You can use chocolate chips, they’re just a little less intense.
I finally made this after years of anticipation/drooling. It was so so good. Unfortunately I overcooked the chocolate layer slightly but the only downside is it made it more rich, and the marshmallow and graham cracker crust did a good job of evening out the flavors. I had never made marshmallow before and this tasted much better than the packaged stuff (two of my taste testers don’t like marshmallow but loved this). Thanks, Deb! Knew I could count on you for a fantastic recipe as usual.
If using cinnamon graham crackers, should I add the same amount of sugar? I usually swap out regular grahams for cinnamon in recipes like cheesecake, etc.
Thanks!
Here, the sugar is binder too so I wouldn’t take it down too much.
Deb, could I put the marshmallow dollops from your sweet potato cake on this pie for a more dramatic appearance?
Of course! And if I ever update this recipe, I will suggest this too. For all of our sanities.
Do you think you could double this and make it in an 9×13 pan to serve a larger crowd and cut into squares? Or better to just make 2 pies?
I think you could!
I made this and it was FABULOUS! Followed instructions exactly and made in a 9 inch metal pie plate. I highly recommend seriously oiling the Saran Wrap, I lightly stayed mine and it still stuck to the marshmallow topping (but I had to use press and seal Saran Wrap and that might have been the problem). 100% will make this again.