S'more Pie

By kelsa94

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• Filling
• 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced chocolate flavor
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Topping
• 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cool water, divided
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Details

Servings 9
Preparation time 50mins
Cooking time 785mins
Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

Preparation

Step 1

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2) To make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter, using just enough melted butter to "dampen" the crumbs without making them at all wet, greasy looking, or sticky. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.
3) Bake the crust for 10 to 14 minutes, until it feels set and is barely beginning to brown around the edges. Remove the crust from the oven; turn off the oven; you won't need it anymore.
4) To make the filling: Place the chocolate chips, salt, sugar, and espresso powder in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the egg, and process to make a damp, sticky mass.
5) Heat the cream to just below a boil, with small bubbles forming around the edge of the saucepan (or microwave-safe bowl).
6) Turn on the blender or processor, and slowly add the cream, processing until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Add the vanilla and pulse to blend.
7) Pour the filling into the crust; it'll come about halfway to two-thirds up. Set the pie aside while you make the topping.
8) To make the topping: Combine the gelatin and 1/4 cup cool water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
9) Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup cool water in a small, deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
10) Raise the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240°F on a digital or candy thermometer. From the time the mixture comes to a boil, this will take about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
11) With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin.
12) Turn the mixer to high, and whip the mixture until it's thickened and turned bright white. It won't form peaks, but will mound up when you lift up the whisk attachment or beaters, then slowly smooth out. This will take 3 to 10 minutes (depending on the mixer and attachment you use; a stand mixer using the whisk attachment will work more quickly than a hand mixer equipped with beaters).
13) Add the vanilla towards the end of the mixing time.
14) Scoop the marshmallow atop the chocolate, quickly spreading it out as evenly as possible over the surface of the pie. It should be soft enough that you can do this.
15) If desired, run the pie under a hot broiler to brown the surface; this should take less than 60 seconds, so watch it carefully.
16) Let the pie cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate it until it's completely chilled, at least 4 hours; overnight is fine. Cover it with plastic wrap that doesn't touch its surface; a plastic shower cap or bowl cover is a good choice here.
17) Serve the pie cold or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 to 12 slices.

Tips from our bakers

If you worry about egg safety issues, please use a pasteurized egg for this pie's chocolate filling.

If the marshmallow topping looks daunting to you (or for a softer topping), simply substitute purchased Marshmallow Fluff or marshmallow creme