S'mores Pie
Graham cracker spiced corn chip crust, malted chocolate mousse & torched honey lavender Italian meringue topping. An elevation of the fireside classic.
Hi, everyone, and happy July! As a proud summer hater, I can only hope the next few months fly by at the same rate June did, but while I am stuck hiding in my apartment from the interminable sun, I may as well bake something festive.
S’mores are a beloved American treat created by a Girl Scout troop leader, Loretta Scott, in the 1920s. The original recipe is identical to the one eaten today: graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, smashed together in a messy, sugar amalgamation that loosely resembles a sandwich. Despite development for the fireside on Girl Scout camping trips, the simplicity, crowd-pleasing flavors, and kid-friendly tactile experience solidified s’mores as an enduring American cultural treat. While I have many a fond childhood memory of summertime s’mores, today’s recipe is more for the grown-ups.
The base of this pie is the Original-flavored tortilla chips from Masa, which have been dressed up with ground cinnamon, honey, and vanilla, à la graham cracker. If you are unfamiliar with Masa Chips, this brand makes a variety of simple-ingredient (just corn, salt, and beef tallow!), wholesome tortilla chips with a lovely thick texture and impeccable crunch. Masa Chips was kind enough to send me their products to try before inviting me to be a brand affiliate! If you are interested in purchasing some Masa Chips for yourself, please use my discount code CLOVE for 20% off online, or find them in the chip aisle at Target, Walmart, and Sprouts! If you do not have access to Masa Chips, do not fear! This recipe will still be delicious using another good-quality corn tortilla chip.
To replicate the chocolate element of the s’more, I went with a chocolate mousse. Chocolate mousse is a perfect summertime dessert to me: light, sweet, but not too rich or smothering. This specific chocolate mousse is malted, meaning I’ve added malted milk powder, paying homage to another retro American delicacy: the chocolate malted milkshake. The malted milk powder is toasty and nutty, pairing with the roasted nuttiness of the chip crust and the toasted meringue topping.
For the final element, the marshmallow, I chose to use an Italian meringue. Marshmallow fluff is usually some sort of meringue stabilized with gelatin. Since there is no need for stabilization in this recipe, a simple meringue does the trick. Italian meringue is made by streaming extremely hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, cooking them, and creating a glossy, satiny final product. By swapping the sugar syrup for honey, you get the same textural result but with a gorgeous honey flavor that plays to the honey in the crust. I chose to further enhance this topping by using lavender extract (I am a honey-lavender fiend) and torching the meringue multiple times for extra toastiness.
This pie is best served chilled while watching the setting summer sun. I had so much fun developing, constructing, and eating this pie! As always, I’d love to hear from you with any questions, comments, concerns, and especially photos of your creations! Happy baking!!
