{ S'mores Brownie Pie }

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!

Let's celebrate this beautiful country with, quite possibly, the most American combination of desserts: BROWNIE + PIE + S'MORES!! Like, can it get more patriotic than that?

This glorious pie has a crisp, buttery graham cracker crust, gooey brownie center, and toasted marshmallow meringue topping. OH, and if you aren't already drooling, the brownie center is stuffed with melty chunks of Hershey's milk chocolate, (because a s'more just isn't a s'more without Hershey's... don't you agree?!)

My friends and I had such a blast making (and eating) this S'mores Brownie Pie this holiday weekend, and we hope you do too!! Be sure to scroll down for additional photos and the recipe. :)

S'mores Brownie Pie

~ INGREDIENTS ~

For the graham cracker crust...

1 1/2 cups of honey graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

a pinch of salt

a dash of cinnamon (optional)

For the fudgy brownie filling...

1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons boiling water

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of butter, melted

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1 Hershey's milk chocolate bar, chopped

(This brownie recipe yields more batter than needed for the pie, so feel free to bake up mini pies or a small pan of brownies with the leftover batter!)

For the toasted marshmallow meringue topping...

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 

1/4 cup sugar

Red, white, & blue sprinkles, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Start by making the graham cracker crust. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until they become small crumbs that resemble sand. To the crumbs, stir in butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Press and pack the mixture tightly into the bottom, and up onto the sides, of a pie tin.

2. Next, make the brownie filling. Bring water to a boil in the microwave (in a large, microwave-safe bowl.) Once hot, whisk in the cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate until melted. Then, add melted butter and oil. Let the mixture cool for a minute, and then quickly whisk in the eggs and egg yolks. Next, add the vanilla extract and sugars, and whisk until smooth. Lastly, fold in the flour and salt until just combined (do not over mix!)

3. Break apart a bar of Hershey's milk chocolate and place it into one even layer on top of the graham cracker crust. Then, cover with the brownie batter and fill the pie tin until just nearly full. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Check that a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the pie before removing it from the oven to cool.

4. While the s'mores brownie pie is cooling, start on the meringue topping by whipping together egg whites and the cream of tartar. Slowly add in the sugar until egg whites are firm, opaque, and glossy white. 

5. Place the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe small peaks in a circular pattern on top of the brownie pie, (or for a more "rustic" look, dollop the meringue all over the pie and create peaks with a spoon.) Broil the meringue in the oven for 30 seconds to a minute, watching carefully (as it will toast up and begin to burn rather quickly.)

6. Once the meringue is toasted, top the pie with patriotic sprinkles, slice up, and enjoy immediately! And have a happy Fourth of July!!!

enjoy!