Mallows - Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

Daring Bakers July 2009 Challenge

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)




Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients for the cookies:

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

Ingredients for the marshmallows (Corn syrup Free):

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. powdered gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup cornstarch

Ingredients for chocolate glaze:

• 12 ounces (340 gms) semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup)cocoa butter or vegetable oil

Directions:

For the Cookie: In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
Add the eggs and mix until combine.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

For the marshmallows: In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. (If you do not have a candy thermometer, refer "the cold water candy test")

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a large steel bowl and let dissolve.
Pour the cooked sugar over bloomed gelatin in thin steam while the hand mixer is on high speed.
Change to medium speed and add cream of tartar, continue to whip until the mixture hold its shape. Add vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping until stiff.
Transfer to a pastry bag.
Sprinkle cornstarch onto a large baking pan and push it in with the object of your favorite shape and pipe in the marshmallow mixture.


OR Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie directly. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

Tip: If you are making marshmallows separately then after it sets, just heat up the base of the marshmallow with a lighter for few seconds and take the burnt skin out and stick the burnt side of the marshmallow onto the cookie base. Let it set for few minutes. This helps the marshmallow to stick well to the cookie and wont let the cookie and the marshmallow separate when dipping into the chocolate glaze.

For the glaze:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.