It’s Friday. That means we get to eat chocolate and have it not count toward our daily calories, right?
I know this recipe contradicts the “lighter can be better” mantra from my last post…but…I love chocolate. And sometimes I need a fix. I always say that life is not worth living without a little treat here and there. And this dessert is DEFINITELY a treat.
I am not sure how I came up with this idea. Even I think it sounds a bit strange. I wanted to do a s’mores-themed dessert, and I can’t get enough berries lately (they are so expensive right now, but they have been a serious craving as of late!). Plus, I love the combo of raspberry and dark chocolate.
So, this brainchild of mine kind of came together organically, I guess. It seemed like a good idea to fold in some tart raspberries to an otherwise super rich dessert. And I’m so glad I did. It’s like two wonderful desserts in one. Think raspberry-chocolate truffle pie in a graham cracker crust and topped with toasted raspberry marshmallows. It may sound odd, but it is so, so, so good. Trust me.
Plus! I love any excuse to get out my handy-dandy kitchen torch. Toasting meringue or marshmallows is extra fun with a kitchen torch. Maybe it’s the danger of it that I love? Hah. I’m talking about a mini kitchen torch here. Soooo dangerous. Of course, as noted in the recipe below, you actually don’t need a torch to make this tart. A broiler works too! Not as fun (dangerous), but it will get the job done.
Being the texture freak that I am, I love that this tart has so many layers going on. The crust is crunchy and sweet, the filling dense, creamy, and rich, and the topping is like eating sweet, toasty air. Haha. Toasty air? Hopefully you guys know what I mean. Toasted marshmallows kind of bring out the kid in me (and a lot of people, I think).
The best part about these: they are PINK! So cute. I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow marshmallows. Sticking one on a stick and holding it over a fire is something people of all ages can get behind. Especially when they catch on fire. DANGER!
Don’t mind me. All this chocolate is making me a bit giddy (hyper). If you love s’mores and if you love chocolate truffles….then this tart is SO the thing to try this weekend. Remember: calories don’t count on the weekends.
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.
PrintRaspberry Truffle S’mores Tart
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 12 graham crackers, broken into pieces
- ¼ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- Water, as needed
For the Filling:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) raspberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
For the Marshmallow Topping:
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons raspberry mixture (left over from filling)
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place graham crackers, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. With the machine running, slowly stream in the melted butter. The mixture should be moist and clumped in spots. If it looks too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, pulsing to combine.
- Press the mixture into a greased tart or pie pan, evenly distributing the mixture on the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely.
For the Filling:
- Wipe out the food processor and add the raspberries and the sugar.
- Puree until completely smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the pulp.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until barely simmering.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until completely melted.
- Stir in the salt, vanilla, and ⅓ cup of the raspberry mixture.
- Pour into the prepared crust, cover with plastic wrap, the refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
For the Topping:
- When the filling is set, add a small amount of water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Put the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a heat-safe bowl (I use the bowl from my stand mixer) and whisk to combine.
- Place the bowl in the saucepan (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the simmering water) and whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch.
- Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed for a minute or so.
- Add the raspberry mixture and vanilla. Increase the speed and whip the mixture until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 15 minutes.
- Spread the mixture over the tart filling, occasionally lifting your spoon or spatula to create little decorative peaks.
- Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the peaks (I did a little bit more than just the peaks because I LOVE the flavor of toasted marshmallows). Alternatively, you can place the entire tart until the broiler for about 30-45 seconds, watching it carefully the entire time. Slice the tart and serve.
Marshmallow topping adapted from here.
Rebecca @ Dorm Room Baker says
You mean no one ever told you about the calorie fairy who makes all the calories disappear from 12 in the morning on Friday all the way through Sunday? She’s totally a thing haha. Raspberry and chocolate is such an amazing flavor combination! And I totally agree that you can never get too old to enjoy roasting marshmallows–even if they do catch on fire.