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For Christmas, my brother got me a gift card for Sur La Table. It is a well known fact that I can spend hours in Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma, all while acting like a giddy child in Disney World.

My husband will say that I don’t need anything because I have everything. He has no idea what he is talking about.

The gift card from my brother was an excellent choice. His heart is always in the right place, including last year when he got me gifts from the Nike outlet. He is so sweet and must think I’m super skinny, because he bought me gifts from the young girl’s 6x-14 section. It’s the thought that counts, right?

 

Included in one of my many mass-purchases from Sur La Table were a few mini tart shells.

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Since my husband and I have an issue with consuming massive amounts of food, I thought making mini desserts would keep us happily satisfied. It also could save us thousands of dollars from having to go out and buy a completely new wardrobe in a larger size.

Someone (not me) has this hobby (not this blog) that requires eating ’round the clock. We’re not complaining.

 

 

I thought for my first mini dessert, what could be better than smores tarts? Don’t those sound fabulous?

 

I made a graham cracker crust.

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Lots of graham crackers. Lots of butter. Lots of sugar. Lots of exercise.

 

 

 

Anyone ever had these Ghiradelli chocolate chips? They are the best ones I’ve ever tasted. Little chips from heaven.

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That I devoured in less than 24 hours. Sheesh.

 

 

 

I found a recipe for a chocolate tart filling from Tyler Florence and halved it.

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It still made much more than was needed for the tarts, but that was fine because I was hungry.

And since I was making mini tarts, I needed to fill up since they were so small! I know you understand.

 

 

After the chocolate filling was baked, I topped it off with some marshmallows and threw it back under the broiler.

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I almost burnt the house down. Roasted marshmallows smell great at a campfire, but not so great when they are on fire in your kitchen.

It almost smelled worse than the time my Aunt Lisa burnt rubber bottle nipples in our rented condo on vacation. But not really. That was bad.

 

 

After burning multiple marshmallow tops, I finally got it right. These were so tasty. And might I add – the perfect size for dessert.

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If you ever decide to broil marshmallows, they only need to be under there for about 6 seconds. Unless you want your house to stink to the high heavens.

But if you have a husband, it probably already stinks. Or is that just me?

 

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Mini Smores Tarts

Serves 4

4 mini tart shells

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

 

graham cracker crust:

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 325

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix until moistened. Form into tart shells. Refrigerate while making filling.

 

for filling:

from Tyler Florence

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, at room temperature

Heat the heavy cream and milk in a pot over medium-low flame, until it simmers slightly around the edges. Remove from the heat; add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smoothed out. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until well incorporated. Beat the egg in a small bowl until blended and add it to the chocolate mixture, stir until completely blended. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell and bake at 325  for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is set and the surface is glossy. If you see any bubbles or cracks forming on the surface, take the tart out right away – that means it is beginning to become over baked.

Preheat broiler. Top each tart with a few marshmallows. Place until broiler for 10-30 seconds, depending on how roasted you want the marshmallows.

 

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It wasn’t until my husband returned home, took one look at me, and said ‘I don’t like smores,’ that I was ready to ring his neck.

What??? Who doesn’t like smores?

It was ok. More for me.

And I told him he still smelled worse than the petrified marshmallows. He did.