S'mores Brownies

With managing a food blog and also trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I lean towards 'everything in moderation' in terms of eating and indulging in some of my decadent bakes. These s'mores brownies, however, made that philosophy go out the window.

Do you remember the Sex and The City Episode with Miranda eating the chocolate cake? That was me. With these brownies. THAT GOOD.

A few notes - the brownie batter is super simple, and the graham cracker base is literally just laying graham crackers down. The only step that is more work than your standard brownies is the meringue topping. I have tried recipes using Fluff before and it is a sticky mess. Don't skip this step!

For torching the meringue, use a kitchen torch. The oven broiler will end up melting the merigue.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

4½ graham cracker sheets

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup cocoa powder

¼ tsp coarse sea salt

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ cup mild oil, such as canola oil or EVOO

¼ milk (non dairy milk is fine)

¼ c semi sweet chocolate chips

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Marshmallow Meringue Topping:

2 large egg whites

½ cup caster sugar

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Marshmallows, for garnish, optional

To Make the Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8x8–inch (20x20–cm) pan with butter and then line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Grease the parchment with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Line the graham cracker sheets in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, then set it aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, oil and milk.

In a medium bowl, add cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, salt and mix combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add in chocolate chips and using a rubber spatula, mix in. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and evenly spread it on top of the graham crackers

.

Bake for 30 minutes, then test the brownies by inserting a toothpick into the center of the pan; until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely.

To Make the Marshmallow Meringue Topping:

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar, and cream of tartar, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg bowl touch the water. Whisk the eggs and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has reached a temperature of 160°F (71°C), about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and become frothy.

Using a hang mixer, beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Mound the meringue on top of the cooled brownies, swirling it decoratively. Top with marshmallows if using, and use a kitchen torch to brown.