I couldn't resist--Surprise Cookies

Surprise Cookies
Martha Stewart’s Cookies Copyright 2008

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
About 15 large marshmallows, halved crosswise (cut in half horizontally)

For the frosting:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup plus 1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make cookies: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Make frosting: Put confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Melt butter with the cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add butter mixture to the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. I ended up adding a little bit more confectioners' sugar.
6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes, Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.
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I only picked up one cookbook at the auction on Friday night and then I was disappointed not to find any cookbooks at the community yard sale on Saturday morning so I was chomping at the bit when I went to Costco later that day. I told myself I would buy one cookbook that was under $15. That didn't leave many options (well, not as many as if I allowed myself $20). I admit that I took notice when this Martha Stewart Cookies cookbook came out but I figured it would fussy and the recipes would be too 'unique' for our tastes. It was a book I would pick up somewhere down the line but I wasn't in a rush.

Once I saw the book, my opinion changed immediately. There are many useable recipes in this book, plus several that are unique for the more adventurous bakers. Still, I told myself I would wait until after the baby was born and I wasn't on such a strict diet. However, on Saturday when I picked up the book and saw this recipe, I tossed it right in my Costco cart and made tracks to the checkout line.

What you see here is actually a combination of the recipe online and the one in the book since they differed, even though I copied the recipe right off of Martha's site (I'm not the best typist and I prefer to cut and paste when I can). Online called for less frosting which you can probably get away with. It called for a longer cooking time (10 to 12 minutes) but cooking time is always variable. The book said halve the marshmallows crosswise and the site said cut them horizontally. I still don't know which way they should have been cut. I cut them top to bottom but I don't think it matters.

My son took one bite of these and said 'You're the best!' LOL. They're sweet and chocolately, just like a kid would like. They're more like little cakes than cookies - my son ate his with a fork.

I could only have a taste of these but I have to agree - 'I'm the best!' LOL.

Blast From The Past: Beef Kabobs With Oriental Sauce from June 2006. We finally have gas for the grill again. I can't wait to start grilling again.

Question of the Day: What's your opinion of Martha?