To kick things off this year, I decided to go with something ooey-gooey and a little bit reminiscent of summer - S'mores Cookies. These cookies need to be made (a little bit) in advance, and frozen. I know - extra planning and prep work seems a little un-cool, especially in December. Don't run away though! Don't think of it as extra work, think of it as me helping to make the rest of your life easier.
Honestly, recipes that have you freeze the dough are some of my favorite kinds! I'll usually quadruple the recipe and then I have a constant supply of cookie dough waiting for me in the freezer. I can pull out one or two (or more!) dough-balls and bake them whenever I want a cookie but don't have time or want to make a whole batch. Or I can bake up a whole batch at a moment's notice and have them ready for a party or to take to a friend who needs a pick-me-up. And it only takes 7 minutes to bake them! Seriously, you should always have a bag of cookie dough-balls in your freezer. You'll thank me later.
As I researched different s'mores baked goods, I found that many that used real marshmallows didn't turn out that well. Either the marshmallows melted and disappeared, or they got that weird tough chewy texture that microwaved marshmallows get once they cooled. I decided to try my recipe with marshmallow cream instead, and was happy with the results. The trick is to avoid mixing it all the way in to the dough. It should be just barely folded in, so you get some with each scoop.
Mixing crunched up graham crackers into the dough gives it a wonderful flavor and a unique texture. *Be sure to taste the dough immediately after mixing in the graham crackers - the crunch is awesome, but the texture does change after it's baked.* The browned butter lends an extra note of richness that you might get if roasted over a fire. Definitely give these cookies a try!
S'mores Cookies
Honestly, recipes that have you freeze the dough are some of my favorite kinds! I'll usually quadruple the recipe and then I have a constant supply of cookie dough waiting for me in the freezer. I can pull out one or two (or more!) dough-balls and bake them whenever I want a cookie but don't have time or want to make a whole batch. Or I can bake up a whole batch at a moment's notice and have them ready for a party or to take to a friend who needs a pick-me-up. And it only takes 7 minutes to bake them! Seriously, you should always have a bag of cookie dough-balls in your freezer. You'll thank me later.
As I researched different s'mores baked goods, I found that many that used real marshmallows didn't turn out that well. Either the marshmallows melted and disappeared, or they got that weird tough chewy texture that microwaved marshmallows get once they cooled. I decided to try my recipe with marshmallow cream instead, and was happy with the results. The trick is to avoid mixing it all the way in to the dough. It should be just barely folded in, so you get some with each scoop.
Mixing crunched up graham crackers into the dough gives it a wonderful flavor and a unique texture. *Be sure to taste the dough immediately after mixing in the graham crackers - the crunch is awesome, but the texture does change after it's baked.* The browned butter lends an extra note of richness that you might get if roasted over a fire. Definitely give these cookies a try!
S'mores Cookies
- 3/4 c. browned butter
- 3/4 c brown sugar
- 1/4 c white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 1.5 c flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 c crushed graham crackers
- 1 c chocolate chips
- 1 can (7 oz) marshmallow fluff
Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring continuously and scraping the bottom of the pan until the butter is a rich caramel-y brown and begins to smell nutty. Set aside while you crush the graham
crackers. Be sure to leave some bigger chunks. You can do this in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or just crumble it with your hands. Be careful using a food processor, as you want a variation in crumb size. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together
butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla and
eggs and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together dry
ingredients. Add to butter mixture and
mix until just combined. Mix in
chocolate chips.
Use a large spoon or spatula to barely swirl marshmallow
fluff through. Seriously - Don't mix too much - you want big globs of marshmallow fluff
throughout.
Scoop into balls,
place on a cookie sheet and freeze.
Bake directly from frozen at
425 degrees F for 7-8 minutes. Allow to
cool completely on baking sheet.
**Note - I had some trouble with the cookies spreading too much when I baked them if they weren't completely frozen solid. (They came out fine that way!) I think next time i make them I'll use 1/2 cup browned butter and 1/4 cup shortening. Let me know if you try it that way!**
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