Featured Recipe
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
By Kate
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Soft cookies loaded with chunks of dark chocolate and gooey marshmallows. Flour mixed with cornstarch for tender crumb. Butter and sugars creamed until pale, not overbeaten. Eggs added one by one, vanilla for depth. Dough chilled. Baked just till edges brown and centers set. Simple swaps: dark chocolate bar for semi-sweet, honey for brown sugar. Marshmallows frozen to avoid melting too fast. Chilling critical to keep shapes, prevent spreading messily. Watch aromas for doneness, not just clock. Chewy center, crisp edges, pockets of melted marshmallow and chocolate chunks. Perfect if you dodge overbaking.
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Prep:
20 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
Serves:
18 servings
baking
desserts
cookies
chocolate
marshmallows
Introduction
Messy kitchen, flour dust everywhere. Mixing bowl full of glossy dough, thick and stiff with chocolate shards and plump marshmallows frozen in place, waiting. No rushing here. Patience is key—dough left too warm? Cookies flatten into sorry discs. Cold dough gives height, chew, snap edges. The scent? Toasting sugar and melting chocolate dance in the oven. Crackling as cookies bake hints pockets of marshmallow melting inside while outer edges toast to golden. Taking them out too soon leaves doughy mess; waiting until centers set but not dry gives gooey indulgence without collapse. Real cookie magic demands knowledge of timing and feel over timers ticking. Grab a sturdy spatula. Fold gently. Let chill. Then pop these beauties in the oven. Smell, watch, touch—read the cookie story baked before you.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Flour plus cornstarch softens crumb and reduces chewiness but too much cornstarch makes cookies cakey—stick to recommended ratio. Swapped light brown sugar for honey here; honey adds moisture and subtle floral tone, helps keep cookies soft longer. Butter softened, not melted to avoid greasy dough; too cold slows mixing, too warm yields greasy, spread-out cookies. Dark chocolate chunks substitute semi-sweet chips; provides deeper bitterness balancing marshmallow sweetness. Frozen mini marshmallows reduce melting and spreading inside cookies but defrost slightly while dough chills, preventing hard lumps. Vanilla extract crucial for depth—quality matters. Egg plus extra yolk makes dough tender and adds richness without making it cake-like. Salt wakes up all flavors, don’t skip or reduce.
Method
Mix dry ingredients
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using paddle attachment or hand beater, beat softened butter with honey and granulated sugar on medium speed. Aim for light and fluffy. Takes about 3 minutes. Avoid over-mixing or it'll tighten dough.
- Add whole egg then yolk, one at a time, beating on medium-low until each fully mixed. Stir in vanilla extract. About 1-2 minutes total. Scrape bowl sides if needed.
- Add half the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just till no dry pockets remain—don't overmix or gluten will toughen cookies. Repeat with remaining flour.
- Using spatula or wooden spoon, fold in dark chocolate chunks, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and frozen mini marshmallows carefully. This thickens dough noticeably.
- Use 2-inch scoop to portion dough onto parchment-lined tray. Space close since chilling prevents spreading later. Cover and chill 2-3 hours minimum, ideally 4 if time permits.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with fresh parchment.
- Place 4-6 chilled dough balls per sheet leaving at least 2 inches spacing. Cookies will spread slightly but stay thick.
- Bake 13-15 minutes. Look for golden edges and matte, set centers. Avoid overbaking or marshmallow pockets dry out.
- Remove tray from oven. Let cookies rest 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Wait for marshmallows to firm slightly or they'll ooze and lose shape.
Cream sugars and fat
Incorporate eggs and vanilla
Add flour in batches
Fold in mix-ins
Scoop and chill
Preheat and prepare baking sheet
Arrange for baking
Bake and watch carefully
Cool on sheet
Technique Tips
Sifting dry ingredients avoids clumps and evenly distributes leavening. Creaming butter and sugars aerates dough—don’t rush this step; plate-like sugar crystals help texture. Adding eggs slowly prevents curdling. Mixing flour in two parts avoids overdeveloping gluten. Folding chocolates and marshmallows by hand prevents breakage and uneven distribution. Use large cookie scoop for uniform size—critical for even baking. Chill dough at least two hours, optimally up to four; refrigeration firms fat, controls spread. Baking two trays at once? Rotate halfway but avoid opening oven door multiple times to maintain steady heat. Watch edges, not timer—edges golden and centers matte signals done. Cooling on tray lets cookies firm without breaking apart—moving too soon risks crumbles. Store cooled cookies airtight to keep marshmallows soft; freezing works well for longer storage.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Start with cold butter, unsalted. Softened works but avoid melting—greasy dough. Aim for fluffy mixture. Golden edges signal baked; watch centers, they'll be matte. Chilling dough—critical to maintain shape. Aim for 2-4 hours.
- 💡 Rotate trays halfway through if baking multiple. Keeps even heat flow, uniform bake. Spot that aroma? It's key. Analyze edges first; golden means closer to done. Check for set centers too, not glossy or shiny.
- 💡 Alternatives abound. Swap honey for brown sugar—both add moisture, but honey leans floral. Dark chocolate versus semi-sweet? Go for deep flavor contrast—works with sweetness of marshmallow.
- 💡 Sift dry ingredients before combining. Avoid lumps. Improves texture, allows leavening agents to spread evenly. Using frozen marshmallows? Prevents melting too quickly. Don't defrost too much; keep their hold.
- 💡 Use a sturdy spatula for gentle folding. Chocolates and marshmallows brittle if beaten too hard—results in uneven mixes. Get even cookie sizes by scooping with a large spoon. Ensures uniform cooking.
Kitchen Wisdom
How can I avoid overbaking?
Focus on aroma—doneness consists of golden edges, set matte centers. Retrieval key, not time. Baking too long dries that marshmallow. Watch closely.
Substitutions for honey?
Brown sugar works, but texture changes slightly. Honey retains moisture, adds depth. Light or dark brown sugar adjusts flavor profile but keeps cookies soft.
What if cookies spread too much?
This could be warm dough—refrigerate longer next time. Overmixing flour toughens. Keep dough chilled before baking. Different ovens? Adjust temperature.
Best way to store cookies?
Keep them in airtight containers; preserves that soft marshmallow texture. For longer storage—freezing works great. Wrap individually if necessary.
