homemade S'mores Brownies

These S'mores Brownies are next level. The gooiest, decadent chocolate brownies with a graham cracker crumb base and a thick layer of toasted homemade marshmallow frosting.

For the Crumb Base

7 oz Graham Cracker Crumbs 190g / 11 graham crackers or 13 digestive biscuits

1 stick Butter 113g

For the Chocolate Brownies

1 ½ sticks Butter 170g

10.5 oz Dark Chocolate 300g

3 Large Eggs

1 ¼ cups White Sugar 250g

1 cup All-purpose Flour 120g

½ teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla

For the Marshmallow Frosting

4 Large Egg Whites

1 cup White Sugar 200g

1 teaspoon Vanilla

½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Make the Crumb Base

Preheat your oven to 335°F / 170°C and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Blitz the graham crackers or digestive biscuits in a food processor until they are crumbs. If you don't have a food processor you can just put them in a Ziploc bag and bash them to crumbs with a rolling pin.

7 oz Graham Cracker Crumbs

Melt the butter in the microwave in 30-second increments until melted, pour into the graham cracker crumbs and mix together until well combined - it will look like wet sand. (If you're using a food processor you can just pour the butter straight in and pulse until combined).

1 stick Butter

Tip the crumb mixture out into the prepared pan and use your hands or a glass to press the crumbs down into a tightly packed, even layer.

Make the Brownies

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put into a heatproof bowl along with the butter. Melt in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until totally melted. Set aside.

10.5 oz Dark Chocolate,1 ½ sticks Butter

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until thick and custard-like. This should take about 30 seconds of vigorous whisking by hand. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer but it's not necessary.

3 Large Eggs,1 ¼ cups White Sugar Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture, add the vanilla and gently whisk everything together until fully incorporated.

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Sift the sugar and salt into the bowl and use a spoon or spatula to fold everything together until there are no more visible lumps of flour.

1 cup All-purpose Flour,½ teaspoon Salt

Pour the brownie batter into the cake pan, on top of the crumb base.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes for a soft, gooey brownie, or 30 - 35 minutes for a dense, sturdy brownie. Personally, I think having the brownies slightly underbaked really adds to the 'smore's' flavor, but this is down to personal preference.Either way, the top should be dry to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out either clean or with a little bit of chocolate on it - if it comes out with a big clump of raw batter then the brownies need longer.

Let the brownies cool in the pan completely before attempting to unmold them, or they will just fall apart into a gooey mess. If they seem too soft to remove easily, try placing them in the fridge for 20 minutes before taking out.

Make the Marshmallow Frosting

Make a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan with a small amount of water in it. Don't let the water touch the base of your bowl. Place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl and put the saucepan on medium-low heat to bring the water to a simmer.

4 Large Egg Whites,1 cup White Sugar,½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

As the water warms up, whisk constantly to bring everything together. You don't have to whisk vigorously, just enough to keep everything moving. Keep going until the sugar has dissolved - you can test this by rubbing a little piece of the mixture between your fingers to feel for any grains of sugar.

If you are using a thermometer, the temperature of the egg whites should reach 160°F / 71°C.

Once the eggs are warmed and the sugar has dissolved, remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla and start whipping on high-speed with a stand mixer or electric whisk.

(I just use the metal bowl from my stand mixer for the double boiler, then move it right over to the mixer without needing to transfer it to another bowl).

1 teaspoon VanillaWhip the meringue until it is thick and glossy. You should be able to make tall, stiff peaks with it when it is ready.

Assemble the S'mores Brownies

Once the brownies have completely cooled, unmold them from the pan.

Slather the marshmallow frosting all over the top of the brownies and spread it out to the edges, making some nice texture on top (that will be pretty when we torch it!).

Alternatively, you can slice the brownies first and then pipe the marshmallow frosting onto each individual brownie.

Using a kitchen torch, carefully toast the marshmallow frosting to your desired toastiness. I like mine very brown and crisp as I think it really adds to the flavor - but you can just do slightly toasted if you prefer.

Slice the brownies into 9 or 16 squares with a large, sharp knife and enjoy! #smores galore #molassescookies #bakingforfun #recipes #new #newrecipe