how do you like your marshmallows?

I am forever on a marshmallow kick and love them in all states: roasted, fluffernuttered, s'mored; you will be seeing several marshmallow recipes down the line as I have baked some form of the above into a cookie, bar or cake at one point or another.  My all-time favorite marshmallow delight has to be the Mallo Cup.  These things have probably been around longer than my parents.  I hope these chocolate candy cups that cower in the Reese's shadow never leave the face of the Earth but in case they do, I made a little bar cookie of them to satiate me while I weep marshmallow tears. 

This recipe still has a couple of things I want to work out but the world can wait no longer for a Mallo Cup cookie!

Mallo Cup Bar Cookies

from the kitchen of my crazy head:
Yield: 32 bars
INGREDIENTS
shortbread layer
1 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 C sugar
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C egg product or 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C Flaked Coconut
6 oz. Milk Chocolate morsels or chopped chocolate

marshmallow cream layer
1 1/2 egg whites (I use powdered and follow package instructions accordingly)
1 C light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C confectioner's sugar
1/2 T vanilla
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/2C- 3/4C flaked coconut


DIRECTIONS
shortbread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil and grease with cooking spray or use the awesome non-stick foil, love the stuff. Mix butter, sugar and flour until crumbly. Mix in egg and milk until a dough forms (It is always a little sticky for me). Toss in coconut. Press dough mixture into baking dish and bake for 20 min. I will make a note to say that this is not traditional buttery shortbread that you find on the bottom of lemon bars and the like. This is more substantial and chewy so it will not fall apart from the marshmallow. When the shortbread is done baking, toss milk chocolate on top while warm and spread evenly with a spatula. Let the chocolate fully cool and harden.

marshmallow
In the meantime, combine egg whites, salt and corn syrup in a large bowl and beat on high for 10 minutes until thick. Add confectioner's sugar and beat on low until fully incorporated. Beat in the extracts. Carefully add in the coconut. Spread marshmallow over the top of the fully cooled chocolate. More or less coconut can be added to taste. The marshmallow cream can be made with different extracts (almond, raspberry, etc.) for experimentation. Don't be scared!

Nutrition: 172 cal., 8.5g fat, 96mg sodium, 22g carb, 13g sugar, 2g protein