The Pie That Caused Silence - Smore Pie

Family dinners are a loud affairs around here. We are a noisy group, well except for my dad and H, who balance out the noise. They are probably the only two listening to the other six talking. Now that I think about it, Justin doesn't get much air time either, with me around.

So, it was all the more shocking last night when we all bit into the Smore pie. The slight crackle of the toasted marshmallow top, giving way to gooey marshmallow, the slightly bitter dark chocolate pudding and finally the graham cracker crust.

Silence.

Then "Mmmm", "Ahhhs", and "there IS another pie in the kitchen, right?" Then more silence. I think this recipe is a keeper. Even Justin, who as a general rule, doesn't like desserts - particularly marshmallowy things - ate every crumb.

I have been holding onto the recipe for Smore Pie for a few months. Attempting to make the marshmallow topping scared me to death. I reread the recipes (there are quite a few out there) a dozen times. But, last night it just seemed like the perfect time to bust it out. It was my mom's birthday, nearly the New Year, and a glorious summery Friday night.

It being Friday and all, I bought a graham cracker crust, but the rest was from scratch. The whole thing came together in about an hour, of which 25 minutes were baking time. The marshmallow topping does get on everything, but luckily, there were numerous family members around to help lick it off.

You need a thermometer that goes up to 260 degrees to make the marshmallows. I discovered my digital meat thermometer worked just fine.

Smore Pie (modified from Smitten Kitchen's recipe)
1 graham cracker crust (homemade if you are adventurous)

1 lb dark chocolate, I used 72% dagoba chocolate, grated into small bits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten

1 packet plain gelatin
1/4 cup water

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat cream until just boiling in a small sauce pan.
2. Put grated chocolate into a bowl, add salt. Then pour heated milk over the chocolate. Stir until creamy.
3. Slowly mix in beaten egg until combined.
4. Pour mixture into pie shell, smooth and pop into the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
5. When it is baked, cool pie in the refridgerator.

6. For marshmallows; set up your stand mixer with the whisk*. In the metal bowl, add gelatin and 1/4 cup water. Leave to bloom.
7. On the stove in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, add 1/4 cup water, sugar and corn syrup.
8. It will start to boil in a few minutes, but keep it boiling until the thermometer reaches 260 degrees. This took a lot longer then I thought it would. Almost 10 minutes.
9. When sugar syrup as reached temperature, carefully pour it into the gelatin mixer. Then turn on whisk. Start slow, so it won't splatter and burn you, then move to high. Whip until white and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla and whip another minute.
10. Pour marshmallow topping over chocolate pie filling. Try to spread it around.
11. Lick bowl, spatula, whisk. Tell friends when they have marshmallow strings on their faces.

To toast pie: Turn broiler onto high. Place pie a few inches from flame. Count to 10. By 10, you should smell the toasty marshmallow smell and it will be lightly toasted. Take pie out and eat.

Enjoy the silence.

*If you don't have a stand mixer, use a heat proof bowl that you secure with a towel under it. Use an electric beater.