Marshmallow Pie

Tips: Nope, not the kind sung about in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, but this is nonetheless made with miniature marshmallows; make sure those you use are soft and fresh. You’ll need most of a 10 ounce bag. I regard this as an easy-to-make dessert, but if you want to skip a step, it’s not absolutely mandatory to bake the crust. Although I much prefer it baked, you can form a pie shell from the crust mixture (in the pie plate, of course) and chill it for at least an hour before filling it.

There are a couple of key points to making this. Do not melt the marshmallows and chocolate with all of the milk added initially; it’s much easier if you use about one-third at the start. Also, while it’s fine to melt the marshmallow mixture in the microwave, don’t use high power! I’ve seen books that recommend this, but it overheats the mixture, resulting in scorched chocolate and hard bits of overheated marshmallow (guess how I know?). Also, make sure the marshmallow mixture has cooled completely before folding in the whipped cream (test a bit on the inside of your wrist to be sure).

You’ll need a whisk and a 9 inch pie plate here. While I’ve made this version without alcohol, if desired, omit 1/4 cup of the milk. When the marshmallow mixture has cooled to room temperature, add 1/4 cup alcohol with the vanilla (a nice combination is 2 Tbsp. each brandy and brown crème de cacao; be careful about using any alcohol with too strong a flavor, though). As this is rich, you should be able to serve 10 people with small slices.

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

Crust:
• 1-1/2 lightly packed cups chocolate wafer crumbs (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
• 5 cups soft and fresh miniature marshmallows (about 8-1/2 ounces)
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• Few grains of salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream

Optional garnish:
• Whipped cream
• Shaved or grated semisweet chocolate

Method:

For Crust:
Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 375 degrees F. (350 degrees F if your pie plate is made of tempered glass or is a dark color).

In medium bowl, combine chocolate wafer crumbs and sugar. With large spoon, blend thoroughly. Add melted butter and blend until well-mixed. Turn mixture into pie plate.

Use about two-thirds of the crust mixture for the sides of the pie shell, forming a high standing rim slightly above the edge of the pie plate (it’s important to make the rim high here, as this pie has more filling than most of this type). Compact remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of pie plate. Try not to have pie shell too thick where sides and bottom meet.

Bake 7 minutes, carefully turning back-to-front once about halfway through baking time. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely before filling.

For Filling:
Chill a small bowl and beater(s) for a hand-held electric mixer. In large microwaveable bowl, combine marshmallows, finely chopped chocolates, and salt. Set aside briefly.

In small saucepan over low heat, heat milk until very hot, stirring occasionally (milk may also be heated in microwave). Pour 1/4 cup of hot milk (reserve remainder) over the marshmallow mixture. Place marshmallow mixture in microwave; microwave at 50% (medium) power for 1 minute—no longer! Remove from microwave; with large spoon, stir very thoroughly, for about 1 minute; scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Return to microwave; heat at 50% (medium) power for short intervals, stirring well after each, just until marshmallow mixture is melted and smooth. You might prefer to switch to a whisk to stir/beat the mixture as it begins to melt more. Do not overheat.

Once mixture is melted and smooth, gradually stir/whisk in remaining milk, which should still be warm if not hot. Cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Mixture must not be warm when whipped cream is added to it, or it will deflate the cream. Once cooled to room temperature, stir/whisk in vanilla.

In chilled bowl with chilled beater(s), beat cream at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Give the chocolate-marshmallow mixture a last stir. All at once, add the whipped cream and carefully fold in until mixture is of an even color (make sure to fold up from the bottom of the bowl, as the heavier chocolate-marshmallow mixture likes to hide there). Mixture will be on the thin side. Carefully turn into cooled pie shell. Chill at least three hours before serving.

To serve, if desired, garnish with whipped cream (which may or may not be lightly sweetened) and shaved or grated semisweet chocolate.

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