S’more Tart

It’s National S’more Day, y’all! S’mores are the perfect summer treat, and it’s so fun to roast marshmallows outside over a crackling fire surrounded by friends. And maybe, rather than keeping your marshmallow at a safe distance from the flames, you let it ignite on purpose. Because you’re a risk taker and you live for that adrenaline-pumping moment of ‘will I get that perfect crispy exterior and gooey interior or just burn it to a blackened lump’?

I don’t gamble. Let me have this.

Maybe you don’t have a fire pit and you can’t roast marshmallows outside. You could roast your marshmallows indoors over the stove if you want your friends to think you’re some kind of s’more junkie desperate for a fix.

Or you could elevate your s’more game and make a s’more tart. It’s a fancified indoor s’more treat that will make your friends think you’re a total snob. It’s worth it, I promise.

Start with a graham cracker crust.

If you don’t have a food processor throw them into a (sealed) ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Once you have 3/4 cup crushed graham crackers, add sugar and melted butter.

Once it’s mixed, press it into tart pans. The ones I have are 4″ paper tart pans from Nordicware.

Use your fingers, a spoon, or the bottom of a sturdy glass. Then throw them into the oven for about 7 minutes.

While those are baking, start your ganache. You’ll need half a cup each of heavy cream and semisweet chocolate chips.

Start with a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl and the simmering water CANNOT touch. Otherwise your ganache will scald. Stir the chips and the heavy cream until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Fill your tart pans with about 1/3 cup of the ganache. Put them in the fridge to set.

While those are setting up, make your meringue. You want to whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Then gradually add in sugar. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Pipe (or spread) your meringue onto your tarts. If you don’t have a piping bag you can use a ziploc bag. Simply fill it, twist the top shut, and snip off the corner.

Put the tarts under the broiler for a few minutes. Watch them closely! You don’t want the meringue to burn.

Once the tops have browned, remove them from the oven and put them back in the fridge to set, half an hour to an hour.

Here’s the recipe:

Graham cracker crust:

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup white sugar
3 TBS melted butter

Combine all ingredients and press into tart pans. Place tart pans on rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 7 minutes.

Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir fairly constantly until chocolate chips melt and ganache is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

After you’ve removed the crusts from the oven, fill each with 1/3 cup ganache filling and put them in the fridge to set up. While they are setting, make the meringue.

Meringue:

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl. Using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on high until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Either pipe or spread meringue onto tarts, half an inch to an inch thick. Using either the broiler set on high, or a torch, brown the tops of the meringues. Put the tarts back into the fridge to set completely, half an hour to one hour. Tarts are best eaten the same day.

This recipe makes enough for four 4″ tarts. The meringue recipe makes about twice as much as you need, but as the ratios are difficult to divide in half, you can pile the meringue higher or use it for something else.