S'mores Recipe

Prepare chocolate

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer and small bubbles form at the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat immediately.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let sit undisturbed for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then gently stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy.

Stir in the room-temperature butter, hazelnut praline paste (or ground hazelnuts + a splash of neutral oil), and a pinch of fine sea salt until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and let cool to thick, spreadable consistency at room temperature, about 30–45 minutes. For faster thickening, chill briefly (5–10 minutes) and stir until glossy but scoopable. Keep at room temperature before assembly so it remains pourable but not runny.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the coarsely crushed graham crackers in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with the melted butter. Toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and slightly darker. Remove and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth.

In a separate chilled bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream with an electric mixer to soft peaks (about 2–3 minutes on medium-high). Do not overwhip; you want a billowy texture that folds easily.

Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the condensed-milk mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until mostly uniform but still airy.

Fold in the cooled toasted graham cracker crumbs, reserving about 1/4 cup of crumbs to sprinkle during assembly for texture variation.

Pour the ice cream base into a loaf pan or container, smooth the top, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large clean bowl for a hand mixer). Add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt.

In a small saucepan combine the granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue cooking until the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). If you don't have a thermometer, cook until the syrup feels syrupy and threads form when dripped from a spoon.

Begin whipping the egg whites on medium speed. When they become foamy and reach soft peaks, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into the whipping whites in a thin steady stream. Avoid pouring on the whisk.

Increase the mixer speed to high and whip until the meringue is glossy, holds stiff peaks, and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 5–7 minutes. Add the vanilla extract in the last minute of whipping.

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip, or keep in a bowl if you prefer to spoon it. If not using immediately, keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Scoop: Remove the graham cracker ice cream from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving so it’s scoopable. Using an ice cream scoop, place a generous scoop on a graham cracker square (or serve ice cream in bowls with crackers on the side).

Ganache Layer: Spoon or drizzle 1–2 tablespoons of the hazelnut chocolate ganache over the ice cream scoop. If the ganache has chilled too much, warm gently in a microwave in 5–8 second bursts, stirring between, until pourable but not hot.

Meringue: Pipe or spoon a generous dollop of marshmallow meringue atop the ganache layer on each assembled s'more.

Torch: Using a culinary blowtorch, brown the meringue evenly until golden and slightly charred in spots (about 20–40 seconds per s'more). If you do not have a torch, place the assembled s'mores briefly under a very hot broiler for 30–60 seconds—watch closely to prevent burning.

Finish: Sprinkle with reserved toasted graham crumbs and chopped toasted hazelnuts if using. Dust lightly with cocoa powder or extra crushed graham if desired.

Serve immediately: Place the top graham cracker square on the side or press gently into the meringue for a classic sandwich. Best enjoyed immediately while meringue is warm and ganache is soft.