Marshmallow–Chocolate Cookie Sammies
We love these Marshmallow–Chocolate Cookie Sammies cookies. Up here in the northeast you can buy Mallomars, which are a similar cookie, but nothing beats a homemade version. What’s not to love? A graham cookie base, this one sweetened with sorghum, a soft and sweet marshmallow filling all drenched with a chocolate glaze. Oh yeah. They do take some attention to detail; Cheryl and Griff offer extra info in our interview. Also check out their Banoffee Pie, if you like caramel and banana flavors.
Excerpted from Back in the Day Bakery Made with Loveby Cheryl Day and Griffith Day (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Angie Mosier.
This is our version of a favorite Southern confection called the moon pie. The graham cracker cookies are sandwiched around a gooey marshmallow filling and dunked in a rich chocolate coating.
Special Equipment: One 3-inch round cookie cutter , Candy thermometer
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups fine graham cracker crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sorghum
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pounds semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar, sorghum, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Turn the speed down to low and gradually add the flour and graham cracker mixture, beating until just combined; scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the milk and mix just until incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half and put one half on a sheet of parchment. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about K inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and slide the dough, on the parchment, onto a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 weeks.
- Position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove one cookie sheet of dough from the refrigerator and transfer the cookie dough, on the parchment, to the kitchen counter. Cut out cookies with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Line the cookie sheet with fresh parchment and place the cookies on the pan, leaving about 1 inch between them. Chill the cookies in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes while you cut out the second sheet of cookies. You can use the scraps of dough one time to cut out more cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until they are firm to the touch and lightly golden. Let cool completely on wire racks.
- To make the filling: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, 3 tablespoons of the water, the corn syrup, honey, and salt and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and, without stirring, bring to a boil, then cook until the syrup reaches 240°F, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer), sprinkle the gelatin over the top, and mix on low speed until the gelatin softens.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture, then beat, gradually increasing the speed to high, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Turn the speed down to low, add the vanilla, and mix to incorporate.
- To assemble the cookies: Fill a pastry bag (or a ziplock bag) fitted with a plain tip with the filling (cut off one bottom corner if using a plastic bag) and pipe about 2 heaping tablespoons of marshmallow filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Place another cookie right side up on top and gently press down to seal. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
- To coat the cookies: Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), add the chocolate chips and oil, and stir frequently until the chips have completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat.
- Set a wire rack on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment to catch the chocolate drips. Using two forks, dunk each cookie sandwich into the warm chocolate, turning to coat, and gently place the cookie on the wire rack. If the chocolate begins to harden, return it to the simmering water and stir until smooth again. Let the cookies sit until set. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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