Martha Stewart's SURPRISE Cookies

Well, I haven't yet gotten to try a recipe from my new Baking with Julia cookbook, but hopefully soon!

I was looking to try something new and quick, so I thought I would bake some cookies! This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cookies . I flip through this cookbook a lot and always find so many different cookies I want to try because, seriously, it's a pretty large book filled ALL of cookies! However, I always find myself choosing not to make something from her cookbook because most of all her recipes require you to chill the dough for at least a few hours. That's a wee bit frustrating when you don't want to prolong the process...but these cookies require NO chilling!



These cookies taste a lot like cake (little miniature cakes) but they are rather tasty if you enjoy a good dose of chocolate. They are, obviously, cake like chocolate cookies, with chocolate frosting on top. The "surprise" is that you don't see what's underneath the layer of chocolate frosting, and it's marshmallow! :D I only had mini marshmallows available, and I think it would have been better to have the large ones, which is what the recipe calls for. It was a little too hard to keep the small ones from falling off the cookies before they were baked and you don't get enough mallow flavor in there ;)



These cookies are very soft and sweet. They have a great flavor that isn't too rich. Try them sometime!



For the cookies:
-1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
-3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
-1 c. granulated sugar
-1 large egg
-1/2 c. whole milk
-1 tsp. pur vanilla extract
-About 15 marshmallows (large), halved crosswise

For the frosting:
-3 c. confectioners' sugar
-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp.
-1/4 c. plus 1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
-1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. whole milk
-3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt into a bowl.



2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 mins. Reduce speed to med-low; mix in egg, milk and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture, 1/2 c. at a time, until combined.



3. Using a 1 3/4 in. ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 8-10 mins. Immediately press a marshmallow half on top of each cookie. (If you are using miniature marshmallows, try to get 3-4 on each cookie) Bake until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 mins more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
4. Put confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Melt butter with the cocoa powder in a saucepan over med-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add butter mixture to the confectioners' sugar. Whisk in milk and vanilla.



5. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of frosting on top of each cookie to cover marshmallow. Let stand until set, about 10 mins. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temp. up to 2 days.


Enjoy <3