Cheers to the Weekend: S’mores Slab Pie

The way I look at it, the sole purpose of making a slab pie is to either A). feed a crowd or B). have an excuse to eat a giant pie all by yourself. Let’s be honest though, If I was given the option, I would definitely choose the latter because when it comes to this S’mores Slab Pie the more for me the merrier. I’m like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, standing over this pie and repeatedly calling it “my precious.” Something tells me you will be too when you make it for yourself. It’s simple, but life changing at the same time.  It’s that time again for us to Cheers to the Weekend, and since we’re all friends here, I can’t let you celebrate the weekend without sharing the recipe for this particular slab pie. Since it is officially summer now, and because I’m a sole believer that s’mores is THE quintessential summer dessert and/or treat, I think this is coming at ya at the perfect time. Give it a try this weekend, find some people to share it with, and live your best life. I’m counting on you. The world is counting on you. 

Let’s work on the crust for this huge pie. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar and salt, until evenly combined. The mixture should resemble the texture of wet sand. 

**Tip: I used an entire box of already ground up graham cracker crumbs, which you can find in the baking aisle. If you can’t find it though, just grab an entire box of graham crackers and grind them up in a food processor.**

Pour out the mixture onto a greased half sized baking sheet (18x13inches) and press out into an even flat layer. You can use your hands or the flat side of a measuring cup. 

**Note: I think I’ve said this multiple times on the blog already, but if you invest in anything for your kitchen, please let it be a couple of these heavy duty baking sheets. They’re awesome for baking, roasting, and just cooking in general. I love them because they’re sturdy and they don’t warp during baking. I find them here on amazon for cheap, but you can also find them in almost any restaurant supply store!**

Bake the crust in a preheated 350 degree oven until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. The filling is basically chocolate pudding. So to make it, in a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, cornstarch and milk until well combined. Set over medium-heat and cook, stirring often, until the mixture begins to bubbly and becomes thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour onto the cooled crust through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.

Using rubber or offset spatula, spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until cooled and set. 

**Tip: Cover the pie by placing the plastic wrap directly onto the pudding so that it touches. This will help prevent the pudding from forming a skin or dried out layer! Also, if you’re trying to speed this up, you can pop it in the freezer for about 1 hour.**

Let’s make the meringue topping for the slab pie. It’s marshmallowy so it’s perfect for our s’mores. In a large heat-proof bowl, stir together the egg whites and granulated sugar. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

**Tip: I find that egg whites beat much lighter and much fluffier when they’re at room temperature. So I leave the eggs out for a few hours before separating BECAUSE they also separate much easier when at room temperature.**

Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer and add in the cream of tarter and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until firm. Increase the speed to high and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Spoon the mixture over the top of the chilled pie and then using a small offset spatula, spread the meringue evenly over the top, covering the pie completely. Create peaks by swirling the spatula around and lifting it up. Using a kitchen blowtorch, brown the meringue. 

 **Tip: If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can just pop the pan under a preheated broiler for about 1 minute. Keep a close eye on it though because you don’t want the meringue to burn.**

This pie is best when eaten the day you torch the meringue. So I recommend making the crust and filling in advance if need be, and then just make the meringue and torch it right before you plan on serving it. 

 
If you do have leftovers, which you just might because let’s be honest this is a HUGE amount of s’mores pie, then you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. The meringue won’t be as fresh, but it definitely won’t be the worst thing in the world. 

You could flavor this a couple different ways if you wanted to. Like making a chocolate peanut butter pudding in the center would be amazing! Or try different graham crackers or cookies for the crust! That would be delicious. Lemon meringue slab pie? I mean, who wouldn’t like that. Try swapping out the chocolate pudding in the center for lemon pudding instead. Summer ready. 

 
This is THE pie to make this summer, especially if you have to feed a crowd. I’m all about making s’mores but sometimes it’s a lot when you have a lot of people to worry about toasting marshmallows for. This eliminates all that hassle because you can just make one big tray and then just cut and serve. Easy peasy. 

**On another shameless note, Saveur Magazine is hosting their annual Food Blog Award nominations right now as we speak. If you have a few minutes to spare, head on over to their site, and nominate your favorite food blogs. If one of your favorite food blogs happens to be mine, and you enjoy the work I put out, I’d be ever so grateful if you nominated The Candid Appetite for either the “Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners” category or “Best Photography.”**

S'mores Slab Pie

 

Print

Prep time

4 hours 10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

4 hours 30 mins

 

This S'mores Slab Pie is a great summer dessert to make for a crowd! The classic s'mores reinvented on one large baking sheet.

Author: The Candid Appetite

Serves: 18 to 20 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 (13.5 oz) box graham cracker crumbs (or one box honey graham crackers pulsed in food processor)
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt

Filling:

• 1¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4½ cups whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

• 6 large egg whites
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cream of tarter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt until well combined. Pour out onto a greased 17x12-inch (half size) baking pan. Using your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup, press out the crumbs onto the bottom of the pan until evenly flat. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside, and let cool completely.
3. To make the filling, in a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and milk. Set over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour out onto the cooled crust, through a fine mesh strainer. Then using a spatula, spread the pudding into an even layer. Cover the top directly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or until firm. You could also pop it in the freezer for about 1 hour. It should be completely chilled and set.
4. To make the topping, place the egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Set it over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the vanilla and cream of tarter. Beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until firm. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the meringue over the top of the cooled pie and then spread out using an offset spatula. Create peaks by swirling the spatula and lifting it off. Using a kitchen blowtorch, brown the meringue evenly. Or place under a preheated broiler for about a minute. Cut and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy!

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