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October = autumn, for sure. Don’t even try to argue with me anymore. I’ve even gone all out and sprinkled my photos with autumnal orange and red leaves, and there are some cute little faux pumpkins on the table next to me which are going to soon be scattered all over the house. And what’s more autumn than s’mores, right?
Well, I’ll tell you – individual s’mores tarts, sitting on log slices, and surrounded by fake fall leaves. That’s what.
These little s’mores tarts are so easy to make, and are filled with the smoothest chocolate ganache filling. I’ve even given you my method for microwave ganache, which is much quicker and hassle-free than the usual double boiler method. Just throw some chopped chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl, cover with cream, and heat on high until the cream almost boils. Leave to sit for a couple of minutes, gently stir together, and you’ve got yourself some foolproof chocolate ganache.
Like most of you, I always add a little bit of butter to my ganache, to help keep things shiny. I also think it gives the ganache a better flavour, but you can be the judge of that!
The best thing about these s’mores tarts? No pastry! I’ve been playing around with pastry quite a bit recently (as the maple apple pie coming next week will prove) and although I’m finally happy with my pie pastry recipe, there’s something to be said for a tart that doesn’t involve the faff of pastry making. Buttery biscuit bases are where it’s at.
Note – I’ve suggested that the base gets baked in the oven for ten minutes, rather than the usual ‘no-bake and chill’ method that you’ll find on all my cheesecakes. This is because we are going to be grilling (or broiling if you’re American) the tart to melt the marshmallows later on, and this can melt a chilled crumb case. We definitely do not want that!
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My absolute favourite thing about this tart is definitely the melted marshmallow topping though. Come on, it’s pretty much perfection. Soft and squishy, with a crispy caramelised top – it’s 100% a requirement for any self respecting s’more. And you don’t even need a blowtorch for this recipe! Yay for not having to buy more baking equipment from Amazon!
To be honest, I was a little concerned that chucking these s’mores tarts under the grill (broiler) would result in a gooey chocolate mess. Good news though – with with grill on a high temperature, the marshmallows need less than a minute to get all brown and gooey, which is so not enough time for the chocolate ganache below to melt too much. It’s basically a miracle.
Last Saturday was definitely a good baking day.
You can serve these s’mores tarts straight out of the grill (yep, still a broiler), but the chocolate ganache won’t be quite as firm. I am therefore recommending that you pop them back in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight if you want) and then serve them chilled. The marshmallows will still be crispy yet melted, and the ganache will be perfect and silky. What s’more could you ask for? 🤦
- 300g (10.5oz) digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 340g (12oz) dark or bittersweet chocolate
- 240ml (1 cup) double or heavy cream
- 60g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, cubed
- 150g (1 cup) mini white marshmallows
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). To make the biscuit base, place the digestive biscuits into a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs. Alternatively, place the biscuits into a strong sandwich bag and hit with a rolling pin until the crumbs are as fine as possible - be careful not to break the bag! Place the crumbs into a medium bowl, and add the melted butter. Mix together with a spatula until all the crumbs are coated in butter, and then press into three or four individual tart tins - loose bottom ones work best for these tarts, as it makes getting out of the tins easier. Press the crumbs up the sides of the cases with your hands, and make sure there is an even layer of crumbs on the bottom of each tart too. Press the crumbs firmly to compact together, and then pop in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Once the biscuit bases have been baked, leave them in the tart tins to cool on a wire rack.
- To make the ganache filling, chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium microwave-proof bowl. Cover with the cream, and place in the microwave. Heat on high for 20 second intervals, giving the bowl a very gentle stir in between each. Once the bowl has been in the microwave for 2 minutes (or once a slight skin starts to form on top of the cream) remove from the microwave and leave to stand for a couple of minutes.
- Gently stir the chocolate and cream together, until a smooth ganache forms. Add the cubed butter, and stir until it has melted into the ganache. If the ganache separates, heat up 2 tablespoons of double cream in the microwave, and stir it into the ganache. This should make it come back together. Pour the ganache into the tart tins until almost full, and then place in the fridge to set for an hour.
- Once an hour has passed, remove the tarts from the fridge and top each with a generous layer of mini marshmallows. Preheat the grill (broiler) to high, and once hot, place the tarts under the grill one at a time. The marshmallows will only need 30-60 seconds to start melting and browning, and then immediately remove them from the grill and leave to cool. It is best to do the tarts one at a time, as the marshmallows can go from golden brown to black in a matter of seconds!
- Place the tarts back into the fridge for at least another hour to make sure the chocolate ganache has properly set. Serve cold.
- The tarts are best served on the day or day after making. Keep in the fridge when not serving.
Put another s’more on the broilie 😛
That final pun is literally incredible in every way <3