S’Mores Tarts

Preheat oven to 350* F. To make the crust, place the graham cracker sheets in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the crackers are a medium-fine crumb. You should have between 1-1 1/4 c. crumbs.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham crumbs, salt, flour, and sugar. Mix in the egg and butter until uniform. Knead for a couple minutes with your hands until the dough forms together. It will be soft.

Place dough between two floured pieces of parchment paper. Roll out until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3.5 inch cookie cutter, cut out 8-10 circles, re-rolling dough as necessary. Place each round into a mini 3.5 inch tart pan, pressing the dough into the sides of the pans. Pre-bake for 5 minutes, and then let them cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients. *Note: Dough will be soft and crumbly. Just press more dough into the sides if necessary. It will not be perfect, and that’s ok!

While the crust pre-bakes, combine milk and cream in a small saucepan. Heat until gently simmering. Remove from stove, and mix in the chocolate until it is smooth. Add a pinch of salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add a small bit of chocolate to temper the eggs, stirring well. Add egg-chocolate mixture to the cream mixture, and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour about 1/3 c. of filling into each tart. It will not expand, so fill it almost to the top. Bake tarts for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tops are set. Right when they start bubbling, they are finished, so keep a close eye on them.

To make the meringue, combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a very clean bowl. Place the bowl over the top of a pot of simmering water. Stir together until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites are warm, about six minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer). Whisk on high until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add vanilla and combine well.

Once tarts are cooled, spread a dollop of meringue on top. Toast the meringue with a cooking torch. Serve immediately. *Note: Do not use a broiler to torch meringue. It will scorch the chocolate filling.