S’mores Bars Recipe

Excerpted from ‘Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking’ by Cheryl Day

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Published May 18, 2023

four smores bars piled up on a blue plate on sand alongside a blue baseball hat, rusty chain, baseball bat, trophy, ball and glove and 60s-style eyeglasses

Photos by Noah Fecks

Our Dinner and a Movie series features nostalgic essays on some of our favorite films from the ’80s and ’90s paired with recipes inspired from movie moments. Don’t miss our essay on The Sandlot.

Also try these inspired recipes:

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients

For the crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 24 crackers)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ pound unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

For the marshmallow meringue

3 large egg whites
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Special equipment (optional)

Kitchen blowtorch

Directions

smores bars topped with meringue in glass dish with aluminum foil over two sides

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Line with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides of the pan.

To make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt. Drizzle in the butter and blend with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool completely.

To make the filling: Set a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water), add the cubed butter and chocolate, and heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.

Remove the bowl from the heat, add the sugar, salt, and vanilla, and stir until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and stir until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Add the flour and fold into the batter until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a slight crack forms around the edges of the bars. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the meringue: Put the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium heatproof bowl), set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water), and whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture should appear pale and opaque. Rub a little bit of it between your fingers to make sure all the sugar is dissolved; it should feel smooth, without any grittiness.

Attach the bowl to the mixer stand (if using) and fit it with the whisk attachment (or use a handheld mixer). Add the vanilla and, starting on low speed, whip the egg whites, gradually increasing the speed to high, until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks, 5 to 7 minutes.

Loosely pile the meringue onto the bars and spread it evenly over them. Toast the meringue with a kitchen blowtorch until golden in spots, or broil 8 inches from the heat source, watching carefully until toasted and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.