I've had the thought of these little buggers marinating in the back of my brain for a while now. In fact, about 6 months ago I titled a post "S'more Tarts" as a placeholder and reminder that the concept seemed worthy of a little investigation and culinary creativity. Well, last week after having seen that empty post yet again, I decided it was time to get off my ass couch and get busy making a Oui, Chef version of these treats.
You could certainly make these as one large tart, but in keeping with the tradition of a true s'more where everyone can exercise their preference when it comes to torching their marshmallow over a campfire (I'm a "just starting to ignite, and literally melting off the stick" kind of guy), I thought it made more sense to make individual tarts that everyone could finish with their own little bit of pyrotechnic daring-do.
One word of caution when it comes to making the marshmallow cream (Italian meringue), and that is that you should make it no more than an hour before you finish the tarts. Why? Well, I made mine in the morning and placed it (once fully cooled) into a piping bag and into the fridge until after dinner. By the time we retrieved it for decorating our tarts, the meringue had started to break down a little, hence the jagged looking finish on the tart in the photo. To be sure it still tasted great, but a nice smooth cream would have made for a finer finish to the tart.
Any ganache left-over after filling your tart shells can be kept in a Tupperware container in the fridge. Once hardened, use a melon baller or small cookie scoop to form little chocolate truffles. Roll them quickly between the palms of your hands to shape and warm, then in cocoa powder or roasted coconut flakes for a special nibble.
I don't know about you, but I am one of those guys that no matter where I stand on the perimeter of a campfire, the smoke is ALWAYS blowing in my direction…..I'm like a magnet for the stuff. This version of a childhood favorite avoids all that "smoke gets in your eyes" unpleasantness. Huzzah!
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
for the crusts:
- 1 pound graham cracker crumbs
- 3 1/2 ounces butter, melted
- 3 1/2 ounces sugar
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
for the ganache filling:
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
for the marshmallow cream:
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 4 egg whites
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
for the tart shells:
- Heat the oven to 350℉.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the melted butter, then the egg whites, mixing to incorporate. Place approximately 2 ounces of the crust mix into each of 8 4-inch tart molds (preferably with removable bottoms) and press down with your fingertips until a crust forms on the bottom and sides of the mold. Place the shells on a baking sheet and then into the oven to bake for approximately 13-14 minutes, just to set the shells. Remove from the oven and let cool.
for the ganache filling:
- Combine the cream and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan and whisk well. Place over a medium heat and bring to just a slight simmer. Pour the cream into a bowl and let it cool to 110℉.
- Pour the cooled cream mixture over the melted chocolate and use a small whisk to mix it in, just to combine smoothly, without whisking air into the mixture.
- Let the ganache stand at room temperature until it is cool to the touch, about 85℉.
- Whisk in the butter, a couple tablespoons at a time. The butter has to be very soft - the consistency of a stiff mayonnaise - or it will form lumps.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, scrape the ganache into the cooled tart shells and smooth the tops. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set the filling.
for the marshmallow cream:
- Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and simmer syrup without stirring until the thermometer reads 240℉, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
- Meanwhile, place the egg whites, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high until frothy. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until medium peaks form. Reduce speed to medium, then pour the hot syrup into the meringue in a slow, steady stream while whipping. When all the syrup is in, increase speed to high and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. reduce speed to medium and whip until meringue is cool. Place into a piping bag fitted with a star tip for decorating the tarts.
finishing the tarts:
- Pull the tarts from the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to eat them. Pipe the marshmallow onto the top of each in any sort of creative pattern you choose. Brûlée the top of each tart with a propane torch...then devour!