Salted Caramel S'mores Tart
Sometimes something is just too dang delicious not to share and that’s the case with this spectacle of a dessert, behold the Salted Caramel S’mores Tart. If I had to pick my favorite flavor combination for summer, it would probably (most certainly) be the graham cracker-chocolate-brown sugar caramel-marshmallow holy trinity of flavor combinations that is the s’more. A backyard wonder. A beachcombers delight. A campers solace. This recipe makes one 14 X 4.5-inch rectangle tart pan OR four 4-inch round tart pans, pans linked below!
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Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 5 (78 g/2.75 oz) whole graham crackers
- 1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar, (packed)
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, ( melted)
For the Chocolate Espresso Pudding Filling
- 1/4 cup (48 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (14 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large egg yolks, (room temperature (*save the whites for the marshmallow frosting below))
- 1 tablespoon freshly brewed espresso (or strong coffee)
- 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (.5 oz) dark chocolate, (finely chopped)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 g) unsalted butter, (cut into 2 pieces, room temperature)
For the Marshmallow Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup (144 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Salted Brown Sugar Caramel
- Make the Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel recipe all the way through. Place in the fridge to cool prior to using.
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (177 C). Use either one 14 X 4.5-inch rectangle tart pan OR four 4-inch round tart pans.
- Put the graham crackers and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes a fine crumb. Drizzle the butter on top and pulse until just mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan(s). Place the crust in the oven and bake 10 minutes for the rectangle tart pan or 8 minutes for the 4-inch tart rounds OR until it starts to turn a little golden. Don’t walk away and do something else here. It can happen fast and you don’t want it to burn. When done, set the crust aside for a bit to cool and turn off the oven.
For the Chocolate Espresso Pudding Filling
- To make the filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and sea salt. Add in the egg yolks and stir to combine. Slowly stir in the espresso. This mixture will be weird and a little lumpy. Make it as smooth as possible and don’t sweat it.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan warm the milk over medium heat. Add 1⁄2 cup (118 ml) of the warm milk to the sugar mixture, whisking until combined. Whisk the mixture back into the saucepan, taking care to scrape everything in. Continue whisking for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Once it’s thickened, take it off of the heat and stir in the chocolate and the butter, continuing to stir until smooth. If you have a sieve handy, push the pudding through it into a fresh bowl.
- Put some plastic wrap directly over the top of the filling and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Once cool, drizzle half the caramel over the crust (reserve remaining caramel to serve) and then smear the pudding evenly over the top. Cover once again and set in the fridge for 20 minutes or until chilled through. If making the smaller, round tarts, take care to evenly distribute each component to all four tarts.
For the Marshmallow Meringue
- Add the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in the clean bowl of an stand mixer and nestle it in a saucepan of simmering water over medium-high heat. Do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk until the mixture is opaque, frothy, the sugar is melted (rub some between two fingers, if it feels gritty, keep whisking) and warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff and glossy and cool to the touch, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the vanilla and run the machine for 30 seconds more or until combined.
- For the round tarts I used an extra large ice cream scoop to mound the marshmallow on there. For the rectangle tart I found it easier to throw it in a piping bag and pipe it onto the tart. The pudding is soft, so take care to gently smear the marshmallow over the top. Use a torch to char the meringue using a circular motion, focusing on the peaks.
Notes
Caramel Sauce
The caramel sauce makes extra. Use half to smear over the graham cracker crusts. Use the remaining caramel sauce to drizzle over the tops of the tarts or reserve for another use (it's great with vanilla ice cream!). Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo