leave the fire pit to the kids

This week is shaping up to be insane.  Many milestones (mostly good) and much family about to descend upon the parental units' household, we included in that mix.  Heartbreakingly, my family said goodbye to our beloved Charlie, the standard collie that possessed the kindest, most lovable and obedient disposition.  I truly fear there is no other like him out there.  I would post a picture but I think there are a few people not quite ready for that yet.  Tomorrow is my dad Fartknocker's birthday.  In the last week the man traversed the globe, helped my family say goodbye to the wonderful pet of thirteen years, will turn another year older and watch his youngest child finish high school.  Which brings me to, my little Tessellation is graduating high school.  I feel like I just graduated high school.  Apparently that is not so.  Graduations inevitably start around Mother's Day and end on Father's Day.  Maybe the parents enjoy the diversion or maybe it's kind of like a present in itself?  I'm not going to ponder this unless I have threatened the planet with my own gene pool.

Chatham, Cape Cod, Circa 1997: me, noonie, tessellation

I'll get back to the food though, that is why you're here.  I waxed poetic on my love of marshmallow early on.  I will spare you the monologue.  'Tis the season for s'mores and I cannot get enough of them.  Obviously I cannot get enough of them year-round but I suppose there are a sad few out there who can only deal with them in the summer months.  Pity you, more for me.   I thought it apropos to debut this recipe while the evenings are getting longer and warm-weather parties are commencing.

I am forever trying to "s'morify" something and have managed to make the typical: cookies, bars, cupcakes, ice cream cake (post coming soon) but this is by far the most decadent incarnation I have come across and it figures that I found it in my beloved tome.  Maybe you're seeing a pattern here; many recipes from this cookbook are kind of lengthy and require some nutty ingredients.  When I make things like this with minute amounts of alcohol, I buy nibs because we are just not part of the cocktail crowd (well, unless it's some fancy dinner that Torren's treating me to and I have run a marathon in advance) and it's ridiculous to spend so much.  I have also tweaked the flavors to my liking if I don't have/can't find something/prefer non-alcoholic and IT IS ALL OK.  REALLY.  You're talking to a Type A personality here and I will stress that baking should not be, well, STRESSFUL.

Also, this recipe is difficult to healthify.  I have tried.  You need those yolks more than you know.  After much research and failed whippage, cream needs fat to actually turn into copious fluffy clouds of whipped cream.  Sorry if you are so brilliant and aware of this.  Sorry if you love your waist and can't do it.  I suppose you could always grab a store-bought cylinder of marshmallow, stick it on a stick and clamp it between a graham cracker.  Or you could have a smidgen of this and forgo that drinkable cocktail, right?  P.S.- S'mores cocktail?  Yes, I have seen it in it's flaming glory.  Just doesn't quite hit the spot.

All-Grown-Up S'mores

from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Yield: 15 large or 30 small servings

INGREDIENTS
graham cracker crust
3 C crushed graham cracker crumbs (one box)
1/2 C (1stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 T granulated sugar

chocolate filling
8 large egg yolks
1 1/2 C confectioners sugar sifted
2 T white crème de cacao
2 T Kahlua
2 t Cognac
1 t pure vanilla extract
1/8 t salt
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 T Dutch-Processed cocoa power
12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 C heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

marshmallow meringue
3 large egg whites
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 t pure vanilla extract
1 C of marshmallow fluff

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 9 inch x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick foil.  I have made this recipe in full and halved it by an 8 inch x 8 inch square or an 8 inch springform pan (shown)

graham cracker crust
1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined.
2. Press into the bottom of baking pan.
3. Bake the crust until starts to brown and become crisp, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

chocolate filling
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and confectioner's sugar together in a large bowl until they are thick and the color of butter.
2. Beat in the Cognac, crème de cacao, Kahlúa, vanilla, and salt.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Let cool slightly, then gradually beat into the egg mixture.
4. Fold the softly beaten heavy cream into the chocolate mixture just until combined.  Spoon the chocolate cream over the graham cracker curst, smoothing it evenly with a spatula.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

marshmallow meringue
1. Using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg whites until foamy.
2. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
3. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Add the marshmallow Fluff to the egg whites a little at a time, beating constantly until stiff peaks form.

Pre-assembly

assembly
1. Carefully cut the S’mores into 15 large squares (or 30 small if it's too much!).
2. Place each S’mores on a dessert plate.  Top each with 1/2 cup of the meringue in a large dollop.
3. Um, yeah, don't have one of these but if you're fancifully inclined...Use a small kitchen torch to carefully burnish the meringue until tipped with golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition: (for 1/30 of a 9 inch x 13 inch pan) 267cal, 18g fat, 45mg sod, 22g carb, 10g sugar, 0g fiber, 2g protein