After my last post, featuring my husband’s rhubarb pie, my 9-year-old daughter asked for equal play. Would I post something she made, she asked? I agreed, providing she did everything (including cleanup) herself. Challenge issued and accepted.

She’s had her eyes on a graham-cracker crust I’d bought, but never used, so was excited to finally unwrap it. We also had an unopened bag of insanely oversized marshmallows, so she sliced a few ‘mallows into manageable pieces. These were layered in the crust, then topped with crumbled milk chocolate bars. Another layer of marshmallow slices topped it off.

She decided to stir things up (literally), and ended up breaking the bottom crust. This upset her greatly as she felt she had ruined the pie. Seeing a perfect moment for a “life lesson” (made doubly wise as it was a food example 🙂 ), I explained that if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying enough new things. And food goof-ups? Fixed as easily as changing the recipe name (s’more pie quickly became Earthquake Pie) and passing the goof-up off as the original plan.

The pie was yummy in the way that only recipes created by kids who have no need to count calories can be yummy. Graham-cracker crust, marshmallows, milk chocolate–stirred together and baked. Simple, yes, but it could hold its own on any dessert buffet. It was even better the next day when the baked marshmallows had set and cut slices held their shape.

s’more (er, make that earthquake) pie

ooey-gooey on the plate

Earthquake Pie

Adults can do the oven-work, but everything else is kid-friendly.

• Marshmallows, sliced
• 1 graham-cracker crust
• Milk chocolate bars, coarsely chopped or crumbled

Heat oven to 350°F.

Layer marshmallow slices to cover bottom of crust. Sprinkle with chocolate. Cover with another layer of marshmallow. Stir to mix, if desired. Bake 15 minutes or until marshmallows on top are browned. Cool slightly before slicing. Makes 8 servings.