Ultimate S'mores Jar
Summer's coming, and the heat reminds me of camping. But if you're like me, you can't get out much. You're confined to your home! You can't build a fire! You wanna make some s'mores, but you gotta film this new thing! Ok, maybe that last one was for me. But we've all been there: a hankerin' for s'mores and no way to enjoy them. Until now!
Directions
Ingredients
For the pudding, combine 1½ cups milk, sugar and cocoa in a nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture, then return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, 2 or 3 minutes more. Pour into a plastic container. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
For the marshmallow cream, beat egg white, corn syrup and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in confectioners' sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated. (Marshmallow cream can be refrigerated in a covered container up to 2 weeks or frozen for 1 month.)
For the graham crackers, combine both flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with oil, honey, and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients for a stiff dough, adding more milk, if necessary. Wrap dough and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Divide dough in half, and working 1 piece at a time, knead dough gently until it holds. Roll out dough to 1/16-inch-thick on parchment paper. Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet; repeat with second piece of dough.
Brush dough with milk, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Remove from oven, and use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut into 3-by-2-inch rectangles, without separating.
Return cut crackers to oven, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Turn off oven, and open oven door wide for 5 minutes. Once most of oven heat has dissipated, shut door, and let crackers cool inside for 20 minutes; this will help them become as crisp as possible. Remove crackers from oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and cool completely. (Store crackers, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.)
To assemble, in a 12-ounce mason jar, pipe a layer of chocolate pudding, then sprinkle a layer of slightly crunched up graham crackers. Next pipe a layer of marshmallow cream and brown the top with a blowtorch. Pipe another layer of pudding, add another layer of graham crackers, and another layer of marshmallow. Brown the top layer of marshmallow and screw the lid on. Don't make too far ahead of time or the graham crackers will get soggy.
For the chocolate pudding:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the marshmallow cream:
1 egg white, at room temperature
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the graham crackers:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 - 3 tablespoons milk, plus more for glaze
Cinnamon sugar, for topping (optional)