Homemade Moon Pies
My first try at homemade moon pies....not bad, huh? I always love trying new recipes. Baking is stress relief and I spend at least two Saturdays a month in the kitchen baking all day. Some would say that I am crazy, but I just love it.
Though my moon pies didn't turn out perfect, I figure it is a work in progress. Guess I should have followed the original recipe word for word ;-) Regardless, they tasted great, but next time I make them I will be sure to put much more marshmallow in the middle. I was afraid it was all going to come out and so I was a little stingy with it. The cookie itself is tasty, so I didn't mind the fact that my cookies were light on the fluffy middles.
I encourage you to give it a try...they are much easier than they seem to make. Your friends will be delighted when they receive these delicious little treats. Cookies make people happy!
Happy Baking,
Miranda
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham flour (or whole wheat)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Marshmallow Filling:
1-7 oz jar of marshmallow creme
Chocolate Coating:
8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon shortening
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the all-purpose flour, graham flour, salt, baking powder and vanilla; beat until the dough comes together and looks uniform. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes (this will make it easier to roll out).
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll until it is about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut cookies from the dough. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until you have 12 cookies. Use a thin spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet - I put all 12 on one sheet. They'll be pretty close, but that's fine, they don't spread much.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before trying to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cookies are completely cool, pair them by size. Using a spreader, place 2 tablespoons of the filling onto one side of each pair of cookies. Spread it within about 1/4 to 1/2-inch of the edges. Place the other cookie on top to make a sandwich (the cookies are a bit fragile so you don't want to press on the sandwich too much to get the filling to the edge). Place the sandwiches in the fridge for about 10 minutes to allow the marshmallow to set.
Finally, fill 1/3 of pan with water and boil. Place a double boiler over boiling water and reduce temperature to low. Add the chocolate and shortening to the double boiler, stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll until it is about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut cookies from the dough. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until you have 12 cookies. Use a thin spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet - I put all 12 on one sheet. They'll be pretty close, but that's fine, they don't spread much.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before trying to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cookies are completely cool, pair them by size. Using a spreader, place 2 tablespoons of the filling onto one side of each pair of cookies. Spread it within about 1/4 to 1/2-inch of the edges. Place the other cookie on top to make a sandwich (the cookies are a bit fragile so you don't want to press on the sandwich too much to get the filling to the edge). Place the sandwiches in the fridge for about 10 minutes to allow the marshmallow to set.
Finally, fill 1/3 of pan with water and boil. Place a double boiler over boiling water and reduce temperature to low. Add the chocolate and shortening to the double boiler, stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
To dip the sandwiches, drop and submerge the sandwiches , then use a fork to fish it out, letting excess chocolate drip off. The side that was touching the fork will be the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack set over a piece of wax paper. When you've dipped all of the sandwiches, transfer to the refrigerator to set. Once set, transfer the moon pies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: www.traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com