Dark Chocolate S’mores Brownies
Indulgent, but without being too sweet, these double toasted dark chocolate s’mores brownies are the perfect summer dessert.
Do we agree that s’mores are close to being unanimously loved? I too, would be thrilled to eat a few s’mores on any given day. There are many different takes on the OG s’more, ranging from cookies, cakes, brownies and even ice cream. Today, I am throwing my hat into the ring, with my s’mores brownie recipe. But, what exactly makes these brownies special?
A few things, including the graham cracker crust—that isn’t too sweet—the heavenly fudgy texture, which is actually a product of using cake flour, and the marshmallows, which are double toasted. I found that dividing the marshmallows in half was the key to success. I bake half with the brownies, and the other half get toasted under the broiler once the brownies have cooled, yielding a dessert that is truly remnant of a s’more. It’s a win win situation.
Further, I purposefully didn’t want these brownies to be over the top with sugar. I don’t call for any in the graham cracker crust and the recipe calls for dark chocolate as the base. Between the addition of semi sweet chips and that pop of sweet marshmallow, these are decadent brownies, that definitely satisfy a sweet tooth, but do so without being over the top.
Choosing Ingredients
Most of these ingredients listed are pantry staples, but a few items may require a trip to the store, so plan accordingly. Below is a few tips on selecting ingredients.
Dark Chocolate. Choosing a quality dark chocolate is important. The chocolate I used when making and shooting these s’mores brownies was Lindt dark chocolate. Other good choices include, Ghirardelli, Bakers, Guittard Chocolate Company and Trader Joe’s dark chocolate, which is a very affordable option. Bittersweet chocolate is also an acceptable choice as the two are very similar. Don’t substitute chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate bar, as chocolate chips are meant to hold their shape, and include stabilizers that work against the brownies while baking. This recipe calls for both solid baking chocolate, chopped and melted, and regular chocolate chips, which are stirred into the batter before baking.
Why Cake Flour? Using a lower protein flour is a softer flour, aka yielding a bake that is tender. In other words, giving a soft, and in the case of brownies, that extra fudgy texture. I use cake flour in almost all of my cakes and for these s’mores brownies I tested with both all purpose flour and cake flour, and I preferred the latter. It really gave that decadent texture that is critical, especially since icing isn’t added on top of the brownies after baking. The brownie needs to stand out as the star.
Let’s Talk Marshmallow
Why are the marshmallows double toasted? Good question and here is the answer.
The first marshmallow layer is the base, which gives a nice foundation to the s’mores brownies. The second layer is the magic. A nice gooey—toasted!!—layer that gives them that true s’more feeling. In my opinion, the best part of a s’more is the warm toasty marshmallow, which is often missing in s’mores desserts. As with most brownies they need to be cooled throughly before cutting, but by putting a second layer of marshmallow under the broiler, for just a few minutes, the top of the brownies are heated, leaving the interior cool and ready to cut. Like I said before, it’s a win win. And the best part? No campfire required.
Final Tip
As with any cake or bar dessert, use a sharpe knife when cutting, and wipe it with with a damp paper towel or cloth between cuts. Otherwise, cutting these types of desserts can get pretty messy.
S'mores Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup butter, unsalted, cut into squares
- 10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons cake flour
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 24 marshmallows, divided in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper for easy lifting and cutting.
- Using a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave, and set aside to cool. Using a food processor, pulse the graham cracker until the consistency is of fine crumbs. Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs with the cooled butter.
- Press the prepared mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
- Using a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and chopped chocolate over medium-low heat until melted and combined. Transfer chocolate to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk in the sugars until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the cake flour over the brownie batter, into the mixing bowl. Using a spatula fold in the flour until just combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips until just incorporated.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, using an off set spatula to spread the batter gently across the graham cracker crust. Take 12 of the marshmallows and break them into half pieces, distributing them evenly over the brownie batter.
- Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a *few* crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. You don't want the toothpick too wet and gooey, but a completely clean toothpick means the brownies may not be as fudgy as desired. Let brownies cool completely before toasting the second half of the marshmallow.
- Once cooled and before cutting, take the remaining 12 marshmallows and break them up on top of the cooled brownies. Set boiler on high and place brownies a few inches underneath for 2-5 minutes. WATCH CLOSELY, as you don't want your marshmallows to catch fire. Once nice and golden, remove brownies from the oven and cut into squares.
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