Guest Recipe: Tom's S'mores Tart

When hosting a barbecue with friends and family, the trick is to get as much prepared ahead of time. As with any group entertaining, the atmosphere is spoilt if the host is dashing about and worrying about getting things ready to serve.

This S’mores Tart is perfect as all the elements require refrigeration before being served. S’mores are a campfire favourite in north America, consisting of marshmallow, chocolate and a semi-sweet biscuit (or cracker as our American cousins may call it). This tart is Tom’s Anglicised version, relying on the humble digestive biscuit as a base. All of the elements are rearranged into an impressive tart - guaranteed to wow your guests at your next alfresco gathering.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 16

Category: Cakes,Biscuits & Cookies

Ingredients

For the base
• 400g digestive biscuits - crushed
• 150g unsalted butter - melted
• 150g Lotus Biscoff Spread

For the chocolate layer

• 300g dark chocolate
• 400g double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 25g unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt

For the meringue

• 2 egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of Cream of Tartar

Method

1. Blitz up the digestive biscuits in a food processor until you have a rubbly crumb. Melt the butter and biscoff spread until it is a pouring consistency and pour over the biscuit crumbs. Pulse the processor to mix before tipping it out into a rectangular loose-bottomed tin (approx 32cm x 22cm). 
2. Spread the mixture out evenly and press firmly with the back of a metal spoon across the base and up the sides of the tin. When finished, pop into the freezer while you prep the chocolate filling.
3. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and pop it into a heatproof bowl. Add the double cream, vanilla extract, pinch of salt and caster sugar into a pan, heating gently while stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the cream begins to simmer. 
4. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the butter and stir until you have a glossy bowl of liquid ganache. 
5. Pour this over the chilled biscuit base and place in the fridge to chill for around 4 hours (or even overnight).
6. Shortly before serving, you need to make the meringue layer. Put all of the ingredients into the bowl and sit this over a pan of simmering hot water - ensuring that the bowl is not touching the water. 
7. Stir constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm. Working quickly, remove the egg whites from the heat and whisk on a high speed with an electric whisker until you have stiff white peaks of meringue. 
8. Carefully spoon the meringue over the set chocolate layer and smooth out with the back of a spoon to create gentle ripples. Pop everything back into the fridge for 15 mins to chill.
9. Before serving, lift the tart out of its tin and onto a serving plate. 
10. Use a blow torch to toast the top of the meringue layer - resulting in a mix of dark and golden brown spots. Cut into portions (this is a very rich tart so less is more) and serve with a little dash of pouring cream.

Tom Frizell-Shackley is a food writer, recipe developer and freelance PR consultant, based in the North of England. He lives with his partner, son and three spaniels. Since 2019, he has published recipes and kitchen tips for his Kitchen Notes food blog.