McDonald's S'mores Pie

There's nothing worse than having a bad day, unless, of course, you've planned to have an excellent day and shitty things keep getting in your way. It's one thing to wake up grumpy and tired on a rainy morning and have to go to class, but in the case of today, I woke up bright and early, ready to start the day and run errands, only to have traffic set in on the way to run errands, watch a crazy, homophobic homeless woman get arrested at the post office and hold up the line, wait in terror while the internet briefly crashed, and cry as all the soccer moms in Northampton tried to snatch up the last BOGO free range, skinless organic chicken breast deals at the grocery store.
I made a detour at McDonald's on the way back, thinking that at the very least, fast food or a visit from my old friend, Mr. DSM-IV 307.50 could cheer me up. Remember, kids, it's only eating your feelings if you feel better afterwards! To my surprise, I saw a new item on the menu, one I'd seen and lusted over last winter. It was the s'mores pie! Originally debuted in Canada along with a host of other seasonally inappropriate treats, it looked like a delicious way to beat the heat. I figured Adam from GrubGrade must have sent over some LTO vibes after chatting with me on Facebook.
After the grill stopped working due to a surprise rainstorm, thus nullifying my plans to s'more this bad boy while I s'mored, we just ate it at room temperature, freezing a hunk for later. I'm not sure if the glorious wilderness of Western Massachusetts happens to be breeding grounds for special McDonald's test markets or at the least, unloading sites for the excess of Canadian pies, but either way, I felt special. The box informed me that this was indeed a limited time offer, along with a dipped cone a la DQ and a brownie sundae milkshake. When I got this home, it was still very hot and insulated in its pie parka, and it hadn't cracked or oozed at all. The pie was visually attractive, with a stripe of chocolate running down the center.This is a far tastier and more substantial offering than the other pies McDonald's has to offer. The pie crust seemed to be a hybrid of the standard flaky crust with some sort of graham flavoring mixed in, as it had a hint of flavor other than grease and sugar. I liked it. It was crumbly and made a good shell for the filling. The orientation of the innards is a little difficult to maneuver, as like the Arby's Outside-In Cinnamon Bites, the filling is applied in two horizontal parts, bisecting the pastry, rather than combined or one on top of another, like a traditional s'more.
But the inside is excellent for a fast food dessert! We both loved the silky textures of the filling, which was filled all the way to the edges of the pie instead of leaving gaps of crust. The marshmallow had a gooey consistency without being gummy or overly liquidy, and tasted like Lucky Charms marshmallows. It wasn't really a marshmallow cream or a fluff, but tasted like marshmallow dough or something. That had a strong meringue and vanilla flavor in that magically delicious way. The chocolate wasn't so much of a syrup or fudge, but more of a chocolate pudding, grainy, thick texture and all. The flavor was a little bland, but it was even better when chilled in the freezer. The filling seized up to the hardness of a Starburst and the crust's texture became more prominently crispy like an actual graham cracker. For 79 cents or two for $1.39 at my local McDonald's, it was not only a good value but a tasty treat. It wasn't overly sweet or heavy and made for a delicious hot and cold dessert.