In this week’s new episode of Married and Hungry, we’re making Food and Wine‘s S’mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue. It’s the ultimate summer dessert, and since we can’t really go anywhere, why not bring summer indoors? No campfire required. These bars have a graham cracker base (my favorite part) with a gooey brownie filling and then they’re piled high with meringue…that we toast. It might look very daunting, but don’t let its decadence fool you because it’s actually quite easy to make. So easy in fact, that you’ll want to make it again and again, which is both a good thing and a very bad thing, depending on how you look at it. I’m choosing to see it as the best thing to happen to me all year. Don’t forget to watch the episode below!
Let’s start by making the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the butter and stir until evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan (see note) and press out into an even layer. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the filling.
**Note: Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of overhang on either side. This will make it easier to pull the bars out of the pan later on.**
Let’s turn our attention to the brownie filling now. Set a large bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate and butter and stir occasionally until melted through.
**Tip: It’s very important to not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. That direct heat will cause the chocolate to seize. You can also do this in the microwave if you prefer. Just do short 30 second bursts, stirring after each until melted and smooth.**
Carefully, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined.
Add the eggs and stir rapidly until they’re well incorporated.
**Note: You want to make sure the mixture isn’t too warm when adding the eggs because you don’t want them to cook in the hot chocolate and butter. Adding the sugar first and stirring will help it cool down slightly.**
Finally, add in the flour and stir until just incorporated. At this point you do not want to over mix the batter as it’ll result in dry tough brownies. Just stir until the flour is evenly dispersed.
Spread the batter evenly over the cooled crust. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still slightly jiggly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
**Tip: To speed this process along, you can let them cool slightly at room temperature and then pop it in the fridge or freezer until it has cooled down completely.**
While that cools, let’s make the topping. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until the whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until firm.
**Tip: If your pot is small and tall enough, you can just set the mixer bowl over it, just as long as the water doesn’t touch the bottom of it!**
Increase the speed to high and beat the meringue until stiff and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
**Note: It might seem like it is not going to work, but you keep beating it on high and when you’re not even looking it’ll turn to marshmallow and get super fluffy and triple in volume!**
Use the aluminum overhang to lift the cooled bars out of the pan and then carefully peel away the aluminum. Mound the meringue on top of the cooled filling and swirl it around a bit. Use a kitchen torch or a preheated broiler to toast the meringue.
**Note: This small kitchen torch from Amazon gets the job done. I wouldn’t say it’s the best torch in the world, but for the price and for the fact that I don’t use it all the time, it’s perfect!**
If you don’t have a torch you can use a preheated broiler. Place it under the broiler, making sure the oven rack is lowered so that it’s not directly under the broiler. If it’s too close to the heat it’ll melt the meringue before it has a chance to toast.
Cut into twelve (or 9 larger) bars and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. I actually perfect this dessert cold so the next day it’s even better!
If you’re like me and you’re just staying in this summer, make sure you bring summer indoors by making these S’mores Bars. They’re a decadent dessert that everyone will love. They’re also fun to make, so gather your family or friends or cat and make it a fun weekend project. I hope you enjoy them and I hope you enjoy the episode!
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDPJ8ZqH–Y/
S'mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Brownie Filling:
- 1 stick unsalted butter diced
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Meringue:
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of overhang on either side.
- To make the crust, in a large bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the butter and stir until evenly combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press out into an even layer. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the filling.
- Set a large bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate and butter and stir occasionally until melted through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then stir in the flour until just incorporated. Spread the batter evenly over the cooled crust. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still slightly jiggly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- To make the meringue place, in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until the whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until firm. Increase the speed to high and beat the meringue until stiff and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Mound the meringue on top of the cooled filling and swirl it around a bit. Use a kitchen torch or a preheat broiler to toast the meringue. Cut into bars and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy!
Notes
These look unreal!!
Great recipe and really a nice one. Will surely try this