As much as I’d like it if we could have a campfire and roast smores every day, we just can’t. But, do not fret. I have created these smores brownies specifically for those campfire-less days. The brownie batter is full of chopped graham crackers, and they’re topped with a torched meringue.
Something I was nervous about when recipe testing these smores brownies was where the graham crackers would be included. I thought about a graham cracker crust layer on the bottom, but that seemed prone to over-baking. I also see way too many layered bars. Not that they’re bad, but I just wanted to do something different. Then I thought about a graham cracker streusel topping, but that did not seem like it would give enough graham cracker flavoring. I was worried that the chocolate brownies might overwhelm the entire dessert. I then thought about chopping them and scattering them throughout the brownie batter. This came with the worry that the brownies might come out dry, but I knew I had to try it. Thankfully, it worked beautifully, and the graham crackers bring a lightness to the dense brownies that was unexpected, but is welcomed with open arms.
What are Stiff Peaks?
When dealing with meringue, a scale to gauge how much air has been whipped into the egg whites is that of peak strength. Peaks occur when you pull the beaters or whisk out of the meringue and the little mountain tops form from the action. If the top of the mountain top folds over and does not hold its shape well, this is called a soft peak, and it means a lot more air can be whipped into the meringue. For this recipe, we want stiff peaks. This means when you form a peak, the meringue holds its shape. It doesn’t fold over or fall back into itself. It sticks straight up and holds its own. So, when you’re whipping your meringue and you’re wondering when it will be done, just do a peak test to check.
Smores Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 4 oz 70% Chocolate
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 7 Graham Crackers
For the Meringue:
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
For the Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly spray it with non stick spray. Set aside.
- In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate together. Optionally, you can melt them together in a microwave on 15 second increments until they are fully melted.
- Once melted, allow to cool for about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and whisk together until completely incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the cocoa powder and salt. You may want to sift the cocoa powder in if it's lumpy. Stir into the batter with a whisk or rubber spatula. The batter will begin to get thick, so I usually switch over to a rubber spatula at this step.
- Add the flour and stir it in until just a few streaks of dry flour remain.
- Chop the graham crackers into pieces around 1-2 centimeters in length on all sides. Fold into the brownie batter. Make sure no streaks of flour remain and the graham cracker pieces are evenly distributed. Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, checking at the 25 minute mark for done-ness. Once cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before topping with meringue.
For the Meringue:
- In a double boiler, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk constantly in the double boiler until all of the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch. I use a temperature gun and get my sugar and egg mixture up to 150°F but anything at or above 100°F should be fine.
- Remove from the heat and whip until you achieve stiff peaks.
- Spread over top the cooled brownies and toast with a blow torch. Optionally, if you do not have a blow torch, you can toast them under your oven broiler, but if you do this be very careful and watch them constantly. They can go from toasted to burnt in the blink of an eye!
- Cut and enjoy!
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