Desserts
Salt Slab Chocolate Brownie S’Mores
I give you the richest, awesomest, most decadently chocolaty s’more of all. You start not with graham crackers, but with your favorite chocolate brownie. (Extra points if it’s homemade.) You sandwich it with a bar of 70 or 80 percent pure cocoa chocolate—Lindt Excellence, Scharffen Berger, or Valrhona, for example. In the best of all possible worlds, you use fine artisanal marshmallows, preferably that come in rectangles large enough to cover the brownies and in flavors like bourbon or orange.
If you’re feeling really ambitious, make your own marshmallows. For extra flavor, you’ll add thinly slivered mint leaves or crème de menthe (chocolate has a great affinity for mint). Finally, you smoke-roast the s’mores on a re-heated salt slab, salt being the secret ingredient used by so many pastry chefs these days to bring out a dessert’s sweetness, while paradoxically, not making it taste sugary. Tip o’ the hat to the Full of Life pizzeria in Los Alamos, California, where a similar s’more comes sizzling and smoky from a humongous wood-burning oven.
Other Great Dessert Recipes:
Salt Slab Chocolate Brownie S’Mores
Recipe Notes
- Active Prep: 10 minutes
- Grill Time: 6 to 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 and can be multiplied as desired
- Method: Salt slab grilling (indirect grilling)
- Equipment: Can be grilled over charcoal or gas. You also need a salt slab for grilling and 1 cup unsoaked wood chips.
Ingredients
- 6 excellent chocolate brownies (each about 3 by 4 inches)
- 6 fresh mint leaves, rolled and thinly slivered, or 2 tablespoons creme de menthe liqueur (optional)
- 6 squares (each about 2 by 3 inches) super premium chocolate bar
- 6 rectangular marshmallows (each about 2 by 3 inches) or conventional marshmallows, cut in half lengthwise
- Flaky salt, preferably Maldon, for serving (optional)
Recipe Steps
Step 1: Brush or scrape the grill grate clean; there’s no need to oil it. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat slowly to medium-high. Gradually heat the salt slab at the same time.
Step 2: Lay the slivered mint leaves atop the brownies or sprinkle the brownies with creme de menthe, if using. Lay a square of chocolate on top, and top with a marshmallow.
Step 3: Arrange the marshmallow-topped brownies on the hot salt slab. Add the wood chips to the coals or to your grill’s smoker box and lower the lid. Smoke-roast the s’more brownies until the marshmallows are sizzing and browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plates or bowls or serve them right off the salt slab, sprinkled with flaky salt, if using.
Recipe Tips
Tip – Warning
Do not make this recipe in cold weather. Hot salt slabs have been known to crack or explode when exposed to cold air.
