Cheryl Day’s S’mores Bars

Instructions

Make the crust

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9- by 9-inch (23- by 23-cm) baking pan. Line with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides of the pan.

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 until lightly golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

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, about 5 minutes.

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 until a slight crack forms around the edges of the bars, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the marshmallow 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, 4 to 8 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 (20 cm) from the heat source, watching carefully until toasted and golden, 1 to 3 minutes.

Let cool completely before lifting the foil from the pan and cutting into bars.☞ TESTER TIP: To get clean slices, run a knife under hot water between each cut.

The s'mores bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Dessert