Our boozy baker Eloise took inspiration from the wild outdoors heritage of July 2019’s Theodore Pictish Gin and her own experiences living in the Canadian mountains to come up with this decadent dessert. In Canada, s’mores are a traditional and highly popular nighttime campfire treat consisting of a marshmallow and a layer of chocolate placed between two crackers or cookies. With the power of gin, she has turned this naughty snack into a boozy chocolate orange meringue pie!

For a more, well, s’more-ish version of this luscious pud, simply replace the meringue topping with marshmallows and grill (very) briefly. It’s easier and more rustic but just as yummy! Perfect when accompanied by this Marshmallow Martini, too.

Boozy Chocolate Orange Meringue Pie

Base

180g digestive biscuits
75g butter
50g brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Filling

300ml double cream
Zest of 1 orange
200g dark chocolate (around 55%)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp triple sec
2 tbsp gin
2 eggs

Topping

1 bag of marshmallows (we love marsh&mallow salted caramel)
or
1 batch of 3 egg white meringue

Preheat the oven to 160c. Use a ziplock bag and rolling pin to finely crush the digestive biscuits. Melt the butter, and combine with the biscuits, sugar and cinnamon until the mixture forms a sandy consistency. Firmly press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a 9-inch pie dish and bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Heat the oven to 190c. In a saucepan, gently heat the cream and orange zest on a low heat, whisking occasionally until it reaches a simmer – the low heat allows the orange to infuse without scalding the cream.

Meanwhile, beat the two eggs and finely chop the chocolate. When the cream is ready, add the chocolate, vanilla, triple sec and gin. Whisk until everything has incorporated. Pour a tiny bit of the chocolate mix into your eggs and whisk together to temper them without scrambling, then whisk this back into your chocolate mix.

Pour into your pie dish to the top of the crust, being careful not to let the mixture reach the sides of the dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until the filling has a custard-like wobble, then remove and leave to cool.

Once the filling has cooled, cover the top with marshmallows or meringue. Use the grill to toast your topping until it turns golden brown with a beautiful crunch. It can burn quickly, so be sure to have your eye on it at all times and go slower with a low heat setting.

Plate up and wow your lucky guests!

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• OMG you need to try this chocolate, cranberry and gin torte!

• This gin-laced strawberry and elderflower cream sponge cake is the best thing you’ll make this summer

• This magnificently boozy gin and black cherry trifle will wow your dinner guests