A Life In Pie: March 2012

I've been seeing S'mores Pie around the internet for quite a while now and have had it on my "to do" list. Twice I bought a bag of those Jet-Puffed Jumbo Marshmallows. The first bag ended up being snack food. Seriously, once you eat those giant, puffy, white wonders you'll never go back to the puny regular marshmallows again! The second bag remained unopened for several months until I finally got around to making this delightful pie. Who doesn't love s'mores, the tasty, nostalgic treat? Nobody, I say, NOBODY! There is something about the crunchy graham cracker, sweet chocolate and toasty marshmallow that instantly transports me back to childhood. I can almost smell the campfire smoke and hear the crackle. Back to simpler times, when life was an adventure to be enjoyed, free of bills and responsibilities. Oh, how I long for those days! Sadly, those days are gone, but at least I can enjoy S'mores Pie!

S'mores Pie
1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
12 Jumbo marshmallows (or however many mini or regular sized marshmallows you need)
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs. cornstarch
4 oz. high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tb. unsalted butter
pinch of salt

To make the chocolate filling, heat 1 1/2 cups of the half and half, sugar and salt in a small, heavy pot until simmering. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup half and half with the cornstarch and whisk to combine well. Whisk in the eggs. Add some of the hot half and half to the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk everything back into the pot. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Take the pudding off the heat and add the butter, vanilla and chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate and then whisk well to combine everything. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the pie crust. Smooth the top then press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cold and set, at least 6 hours.

Heat your oven to broil. Arrange the marshmallows on the top of the pie. Place the pie on the oven rack so it is about 3 to 4 inches away from the element. DO NOT walk away! I kept the oven door open and rotated the pie around constantly to brown the marshmallows evenly. Do this until they are puffy and browned to your liking. Enjoy immediately!