I have always had a fascination with all things s'mores. I think it's in part because it's such a great concept: rich milk chocolate and melty, toasted marshmallows sandwiched between graham crackers. How can you go wrong?
But all too often, it does go wrong. Very seldom do I get a true s'mores fix when I try s'mores flavored candy or ice creams or cookies. The worst is when the artificial flavoring eclipses even the sanctity of real chocolate. The horror!
So I've been craving something s'mores, and while I was in the grocery store the other day, I decided to grab some things and try my hand at a S'mores Pie. I adapted the recipe from an old Hershey's Raspberry Truffle Pie I used to make, back before Hershey's pulled the flavor and broke my heart. It's a super simple pie, though, with no baking involved whatsoever. If you're feeling lazy, you don't even have to whip your own heavy cream. Just use Cool Whip. (Aside: I have a love/hate relationship with Cool Whip. In general, it's way too artificial tasting for my liking. I don't like it on its own, and would much rather make my own fresh whipped cream. However, in a recipe like this, the artificial taste is totally eclipsed by decadent chocolate, so I don't mind taking the lazy way out.)
Keep in mind that, as I said, this is an easily adaptable recipe and you can modify it with any kind of flavored baking chips you might want, for a wide variety of pies. For this pie, I used milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. You don't have to use both, but I thought that using half and half would cut some of the overwhelming sweetness of the pie. (It did...to an extent. It's still a super sweet, super rich pie.) I measured out 6 oz. of both in a bowl and set them aside.
In a large, microwave safe bowl, place 20 large marshmallows. Pour ½ cup of milk over the marshmallows and microwave at medium power for one minute. When you take it out to stir, not all of the marshmallows may be melted. (See the picture.) Microwave at 30 second intervals, taking out to stir each time. It's done when it is smooth and foamy.
Add the chocolate chips to the hot marshmallow mixture and stir gently until they're all melted. If the chocolate doesn't completely melt, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each time, until the mixture is smooth. (Or relatively so. You can see in my picture below, I got a little impatient — though some of those "lumps" are air bubbles.) I should also note here that, on a whim, I added a shot of sugar-free S'mores flavored syrup at this stage. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. Next time, I'll probably add a bit more. The S'mores flavor definitely came through in just the chocolate mixture, but was overpowered by the addition of the whipped cream.
Pour 1 cup of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of your graham cracker pie crust. Let it chill in the fridge while the rest of the mixture comes to room temperature. Use your waiting time wisely. I cleaned up the dirty dishes I'd used. You could also watch TV, read, crochet, work on tags, or take a nap. (Really, I think it only took about 20-30 minutes or so, but it may take less or more time, depending on how cool your house is and other, more scientific factors.)
Once the remaining chocolate mixture has cooled, fold in about 3-3 ½ cups of Cool Whip (or whipped cream). Be gentle. It'll really keep a nice, fluffy, mousse-like texture.
When everything is incorporated, spoon it into the pie crust and spread it out, careful not to mix it into the bottom chocolate layer. You can leave it like this, but I chose to top it with extra Cool Whip. Whatever you do, don't forget the marshmallows on top!
This might be my most favorite part of making this pie: torching the marshmallows. I just don't use my little kitchen blowtorch often enough. I was so excited by the prospect that I really didn't think it through enough. Next time, I think I will both get more decorative and pipe on the extra Cool Whip, and also torch the marshmallows before putting them on top of the pie. That way I can get them toasted more and not melt the Cool Whip. If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can probably use your oven's broiler (stick them on a baking sheet or a foil or parchment lined pan, do not stick the pie in the oven). Or use a lighter or a candle or...get creative. I've certainly had my fair share of toasted marshmallows over a candle.
Ta da! The finished product! (Finally got in the placement for the syrup I used. Sort of. The brand is Torani. I love them.) I smushed the pie as I was taking the slice out, but really...it didn't affect the taste!
Again, this pie is sweet and rich, so moderation is probably key. Even though every time I open my fridge door, I want to smash my face in this thing….
S'mores Pie Ingredients
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust 12 oz. Chocolate Chips ½ cup Milk 40 large Marshmallows 16 oz Cool Whip S'mores Syrup (optional)