choc full o' nuts

I'm going to get right to the food here on this one because my random summer escapades have kept me from my oven and it sure needed some lovin'. I am hoping these are going to be a hit with my BFF's betrothed because these have similar add-ins to the Pineapple and Macadamia Islands that I sent their way a few months back since he is crowned the b-day boy in less than a week.

I love catering to other people's tastes. It makes me feel like I'm being let in on a piece of their inner workings. I also feel that if you take the time to ask and learn what they like and then spend some more time on the prep, it's kind of the adult route to an arts and crafts project. Remember all of those macaroni necklaces? Well instead of me making you wear this, you get to actually ingest it without inducing an avian attack every time you go outside. Happy your very welcome.

Butterscotch Choconut Crunch Bars

Yield: 48 bars

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 C unsalted butter
4 C firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 T vanilla extract
2 T dark rum
4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 C almonds, lightly salted
1 C cashews, lightly salted
1 C macadamia nuts, lightly salted
1 package Almond Joy Pieces or 10 oz. Almond Joy Bars, chopped
11 oz. KitKat bars, chopped I used the milk, dark and white chocolate mini mix because I am a sucker for variety

DIRECTIONS
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or line it with foil.
1. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and rum.
2. Melt and lightly brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then stir it into the sugar mixture to create a smooth, caramel-like batter.
3. Whisk in the flour and baking powder to form a loose batter. (Make sure the batter is cool before stirring in the remaining ingredients, otherwise the chocolate will start to melt before the bars are baked.)
4. Stir the nuts, coconut bars, and Kit Kats into the cooled batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread smooth.
5. Bake until the top is shiny and feels firm to the touch, 35-40 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the batter should come out with a bit of the batter still on it.  The center will not seem fully baked. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate for a couple of hours before cutting and serving.  These are a very dense buttery bar with a "fudgy" texture rather than a cake-like bar.

Nutrition: 283 cal, 16g fat, 77mg sod, 33g carb, 22g sugar, 1g fiber, 4g protein

tropical weather yields tropical treats

Fruit = healthy, right? Yeah, well, I know dried fruit, let alone sweetened dried fruit, is not ideal but who can resist the pineapple/coconut combo? Summer weather is beginning to blossom up here in New England and I have been wanting to make this recipe since I received this book a couple of years ago. I found it very apropos for the season and I really do try to bake seasonally. I just find it weird to eat this combo in the dead of winter. Of course, if you want to conjure up some far off island while you're trapped under three feet of snow, I can sympathize.

Now, after waxing poetic about the perfect pairing of pineapple and coconut, I will say that the original version of this recipe did not call for coconut at all. Hmmm, why the heck not? Maybe they felt that three recipes with coconut were enough for one book. Elinor, after you wrote a cupcake cookbook where every third recipe had lemon something in it, this is really not overkill. Just in case you wanted my opinion. So I made some adjustments to the recipe which are italicized below. Also, I just couldn't pass up some chocolate-covered macadamia nuts that were on sale but it wasn't until I brought the bag home and discovered that there were only fifteen of the suckers in there that I realized it wasn't the best idea. Maybe macadamia nuts and chocolate chunks will do, I'll let you decide. For now, the cookies look like they have giant eyeballs. Maybe no one would have noticed if I hadn't said that. I just broke a major rule of critique: don't list your major shortcomings. Well, to make up for that, I will say that these are incredibly moist and I plan on making them again with some tweaks. Grab one of these and go swing on a hammock in the shade.

Pineapple and Macadamia Islands

adapted from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans
Yield: 15 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (this was originally 1 tsp of baking soda which I felt was not necessary for the chemical reaction needed.  My adaptations yielded a soft, chewy cookie.  If you try the other way, let me know!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted
1 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp dark rum I used 1 1/2 T kick the flavor up a bit
3/4 C macadamia nuts, salted or unsalted, coarsely chopped this is where I added the chocolate covered ones
1 C sweetened dried pineapple cut into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 C sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 C milk or white chocolate chunks (if not doing the chocolate covered nuts)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or be lazy like me and do one sheet, two rounds of baking).
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar to blend.
3. Stir egg, vanilla and rum into the mixture until it appears smooth and shiny.
4. Stir in flour mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Add nuts, coconut, pineapple and chocolate if necessary.
6. Scoop 1/4 C mounds of the dough ont baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.
7. Bake cookies until the edges are slightly golden, about 14 minutes.   Cool slightly before removing from sheet to cool on wire rack completely.

Nutrition: 221cal, 8g fat, 90mg sod, 32g carb, 22g sugar, 1g fiber, 2g protein

cottontail cupcakes

I have been trying to keep my mind off of the really long exam I mentioned a month ago.  It is rare for me to mention something personal like that in fear of jinxing myself (I can't help being superstitious, I think it's some weird anxiety-driven thing I have had my whole life.  I will make up crazy "tests" in my head and if I beat the clock or something, good luck will ensue.  Bet you didn't know I was that nuts, sorry!).  Anyway, as some may know, I have been struggling with post-college life and it's been tough for my formerly Type-A self to be without direction and motivation.  Fortunately, I got the results for that test and lo, I passed.  One step closer to figuring this life of mine out (at least for now).  Phew.  Would any of you entrust your children to me?  Anyone?  Anyone?  So far my foray into education has provided the children and faculty of a Worcester elementary school with an entertaining sartorial outlook and I have been told by the students that I "still know what it is like to be a kid," after I demonstrated a cartwheel on the playground.  Math, on the other hand, has apparently changed since I was in third grade.  I will draw you a pretty cupcake to make up for it.

With that out of the way, let's celebrate with the Easter treat I mentioned earlier.  I thought these fluffy cupcakes resembled bunny tails and even made little cut-out bunnies that looked like each member of my family (down to my brother Nick's gauged ears).  I propped the bunny cut out in front of the giant cupcake and distributed them.  I wasn't expecting the 90 degree weather (not that I was disappointed, trust me) and quickly had to shove the little goodies into the fridge.  No matter, the frosting made the four-hour trip to the 'Cuse and no one died from food poisoning.  Another test passed!

Bunny Cottontails

(or Lemon Coconut Snowballs from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans)
Yield: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
lemon filling
1/4 C (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 C water
1 tsp grated lemon zest

seven-minute frosting
1 1/4 C sugar
1/3 C water
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 C shredded coconut

cupcakes
1 1/3 C cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 T whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 C sugar
6 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 C lemon filling

DIRECTIONS
lemon filling
1. Heat butter and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is hot.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in dissolved cornstarch. While whisking continuously, slowly pour hot butter and lemon juice into yolk mixture.
3. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to boil and thickens, about 6 minutes.
4. Once the mixture looks more translucent than cloudy, remove from heat, pour into small bowl and stir in the lemon zest.

5. Let the mixture sit out until it stops steaming.  Cover and refrigerate until cold.  Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, frozen for 3 months.

seven-minute frosting
1. Put sugar, water, egg whites, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler with at least a 2-qt capacity and beat with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until opaque, white and foamy.
2. Put the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Top container should sit firmly over the pan of hot water.
3. Beat on high speed until the frosting forms a soft peak that stands straight up if you stop the beaters and lift them up, about 7 minutes, should register about 160 degrees on candy thermometer.
4. Remove the container of frosting from the water. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, and continue beating for 2 minutes to further thicken the frosting.

cupcake making and assembly
Preheat to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, stir the milk and vanilla and almond extracts together.
2. In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about two minutes.  On low speed, alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures until fully incorporated.
3. In another large bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until the whites are foamy and the cream of tartar dissolves, about a minute. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Use a spatula to fold one-third of the whipped egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites until no white streaks remain.
4. Distribute batter evenly among the 12 liners. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Tops should remain pale and barely brown on the edges.  Cool the cupcakes for ten minutes in the pan or on a wire rack.
5. To fill the cupcakes with the lemon filling, cut a cone-shaped piece, about one inch across and one inch deep, out of the middle of the top of each cupcake; set the pieces aside. Spoon one tablespoon of lemon filling into each hole. Replace the cone-shaped pieces of cupcake. Immediately frost afterwards.

6. You can remove the liner and frost the top and sides of the cupcake as suggested in the recipe or pile the frosting on top.  Either way, use a 1/2 C frosting per each cupcake.  Generously sprinkle coconut all over tops and sides of frosting.  Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Nutrition: 414 cal, 13g fat, 108mg sod, 70g carb, 55g sugar, 1g fiber, 7g protein

cadbury creme compulsion

As mentioned earlier, I love all things Cadbury® Egg.  In fact, I have been known to obsess over the things and cannot keep more than one at a time in my possession because I will most definitely eat all I have in a sitting.  I seriously think I am missing the "I'm full" sensation and need to voluntarily shut myself off.  It's terrible because I have a hard time with self control.  Especially with sugary confections wrapped in foil and harboring a surprise of any kind of "creme."  So, sadly, I have not had a real Cadbury® Egg yet this season because I have been baking so heavily.  I have to cut back somehow!

These are "muffcakes" because after searching for the Cadbury® Egg cupcake and finding two recipes, I preferred the one that is not cloyingly sweet and more dense to hold the sugary little egg jewels.  I didn't want just plain vanilla but something that the milk chocolate wouldn't get lost in.  I felt a citrus would do well.  I like orange and chocolate but I think lemon would also be a good contender for this.  Lime is always great with coconut so that is also an option.  I decided to top them with the chocolate batter to resemble dirt and then wanted the toasted coconut to be like a little nest.  You can plop a Peep on top for super Easter cuteness.  I made some homemade peeps and while it was fun, I need to speed up my piping because my marshmallow began to gel too quickly and I wasted quite a bit of sugar.

Now I must do some conditioning for the egg hunt that I am still forced to participate in even though I'm 25 and married. 

Cadbury® Egg Muffcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
creamsicle muffin
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 C light vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 T orange juice
1-2 tsp orange zest
1 dozen Mini Cadbury® Creme Eggs

chocolate cupcake top via Cupcake Bakeshop's recipe
1/4 C unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 C + 3 T flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp (a dash) of baking soda
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

orange frosting
2 T unsalted butter
1 C confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. orange zest
1 T orange juice
1/2 T cream
6 T unsweetened coconut shavings, toasted (don't kill yourself if you can't find them, just buy regular angel flake)
1 dozen chick Peeps (optional)


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line standard-sized cupcake pan with liners.
toasted coconut
1. Spread unsweetened coconut shavings out over a cookie sheet and put in the 350 degree F oven.
2. Bake for 4 min or until you start to smell coconut. It browns very quickly so keep an eye on it.
3. Remove and stir around to evenly brown the bits. Let cool before frosting.

creamsicle muffin
1. Mix flour and baking powder in bowl and set aside.
2. Beat together sugar and butter.
3. Add egg, vanilla yogurt and orange juice until thoroughly mixed.
4. Slowly add in flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Stir in orange zest.
5. Distribute batter evenly into a dozen liners. Drop a Mini Egg into the center of each.

chocolate cupcake top
1. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
4. Alternate adding milk and dry ingredients to the butter mixture until fully combined.
5. Evenly distribute batter over tops of muffin batter.
6. Bake for 15 min. Let cool before frosting (the tops will flatten slightly, you want a flat surface for plopping a Peep!)

orange frosting
1. Beat butter until soft.
2. Add confectioner's sugar, cream and orange juice until smooth.
3. Stir in orange zest.
4. Frost and dip tops into a bowl of toasted coconut.
5. Place a Peep on top if you desire

Nutrition: 393 cal, 18g fat, 83mg sod, 56g carb, 39g sugar, 1g fiber, 5g protein

gimme samoa.

March is not only the month bearing the luck and heavy hangover of St. Patrick's Day, it is the time of year that Girl Scout cookie orders arrive!  That should be a holiday in itself.  I am surprised there isn't a National Girl Scout Day but they should aim for March to boost those cookie sales (like they need to, those things are cookie crack).
Debate: the best Girl Scout cookie.  I have a really difficult time with this but ultimately side with the Samoa (Peanut Butter Sandwich and Tagalong tie for second).  It has the mandatory butter cookie base, a thick caramel congeal, coconut and chocolate.  They are perfect in their half crunchy, half chewy loveliness.  As the boxes have gotten smaller, I am closer and closer to being able to polish off a row or three in a day.  It is probably for the best that we did not order any this year and succumb to the cutie cookie pushers.
Always searching for nutritional info, I discovered that not only are the Girl Scout yummies baked by two companies, they have varying nutritionals, varying names (Samoa = Caramel deLite = LAME, Tagalongs = Peanut Butter Patties) and even varying varieties of cookies (I almost panicked after not seeing info for the above Peanut Butter Sandwiches and realized the other company made them).  Children need consistency, Girl Scouts!  My OCD tendencies need consistency, Girl Scouts!  Come on, let's make up our minds here.  Actually, let's just agree that whatever they made in the 1970s was the best cookie lineup.  After my embarrassingly short stint in Brownies (I failed to bridge to GS) where my mother went from cookie assistant to "Mommy Dearest, head cookie mom and door-to-door driver of half of the troop," the cookies seemed to go all wonky in the flavor department.  Remember those strawberry jam things?  They were OK, I suppose, but my grandma can do way better.  Not a fan of the square animal cookies with the chocolate back.  Then there was a lame version of the lemon cremes, which may still be around.
Getting to the point, replicating these de-lites, har, har, has been done and it is both fun and a bit aggravating if they are not perfect looking.  I have loved cupcakes long before the trend (really, who hasn't?) and wanted to shake things up by making a Samoa one.  Fortunately, the recipe was out there when I searched to see if I would have to experiment.   This recipe takes a little time but is so worth it.  I have made them a couple times, in fact, and the leftovers can be used for new concoctions!  So while you are reading this, think and tell me, what is your preferred Girl Scout cookie?

Samoas® Cupcakes

adapted from Chockylit (via the Chronicle) and Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
Yield: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
cupcakes
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 large yolk (I use 1 1/2 servings liquid egg product)
1 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C light sour cream

toasted coconut topping
* Note: this is half of the recipe, if you want the huge mounds of coconut as seen on Chokylit's blog, just double it.
1 egg (1/4 C liquid egg)
5 oz evaporated milk
2/3 C sugar
1/4 C butter
1 1/2 C shredded, sweet coconut

caramel 
*I use this caramel recipe any time I need a caramel topping or filling.  It is the best I have found so far.  Heavy cream is a must ( I have tried to sub) sorry for you dieters out there but I guess you wouldn't be making this anyway!
1/4 C water
1 C sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 C heavy cream
1 T butter

chocolate ganache
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao)
1 C heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cupcake pan or insert paper liners.
cupcakes

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes.  

3. On low speed, mix in butter and vanilla until blended.  

4. Mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain.  

5. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth.

6. Fill liners with about 1/4 C batter, or three-fourths full.

7. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the tops feel firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

toasted coconut topping 
1. Spread the coconut onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes.
2. Crack the egg into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up.
3. Add milk, sugar, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. Press mixture through a metal sieve and into a bowl to remove any lumps.
5. Add 2 cups of the coconut, reserving the remainder for assembly, stir to combine.
6. Let the mixture cool.

caramel
1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. CAREFULLY pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter and stir until combined.
9. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Note: You will have leftover caramel, it stores well refrigerated in an airtight container for about a month.

chocolate ganache
1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

assemble
1. Using a small paring knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone. (I have taken the liberty of pushing down the inside of the cupcake before after this step to add more caramel than directed in Step 2)
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of caramel.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Smooth on a light coating of chocolate ganache.
5. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to harden the ganache.
6. With your hands, press out a disk of the coconut topping and place on top of the cupcake. Press to shape the mixture into a dome.
7. Press in some more plain toasted coconut on top of that.
8. Drizzle the top with lines of ganache. Note that you may have to warm the ganache over a water bath to get it to drizzling consistency.


If you have any question on methods and techniques, the Cupcake Bakeshop Blog is amazing and several of the steps are illustrated with beautiful photography.
These may be better than eating a row of Samoas.

Last note: These things are pretty hefty in the nutrition info.  I have taken the time in the past to calculate it all out and it wasn't pretty.  When I have more time I may do it again but let's just say that if you're worried, cut the thing in half or make minis!  Seriously though, if you've made it this far, I think you can dare to eat one and then go hightail it on the elliptical.

the power of persuasion (and some dark chocolate)

 

Is it just me or do women love sweets more than men?  I don't even need a full hand to count the number of guys in my life who will devour a dessert like I (or my sister or my best friend or my grandmothers, etc.) do: my father (genetic sweet tooth of aforementioned grandmother) and my beloved new uncle-in-law.  The latter will literally float down from his third story perch in the multi-family we own together and inquire "got any of those yummy cookies for me?"  The cookie fairy has been known to leave sweets outside his door to which he hilariously exclaimed to his girlfriend "when I think about them, they just appear...like magic."

This lack of sweet tooth boggles my mind and makes it difficult for me to pawn off my goods due to the fact that I am usually surrounded by dudes.  My husband Torren is one of those people who will try something new but in the end will ask for the same thing (Reese's Pieces cookies).  Our friends would prefer something alcoholic (I have managed to incorporate that into baking, stay tuned).  Lastly, my brother-in-law Rylan is also a willing taster but would ultimately prefer to eat a can of almonds with a side of unsweetened baking chocolate and dried fruit.  Blech.  So I decided that Rylan was my challenge of the month and I wanted to persuade him to the sweet side with a combo of his loves when he came over for Torren's Superbowl chili the night of the big game. 

Hooray!  I could finally make something "Almond Joy" associated!  Plus, I had spent the previous weekend roasting all of my leftover nuts from Christmas cookies and had plenty of almonds to go around.

These were easy and fun to make and in the end, I managed to make a sweet treat convert out of Ry by appealing to his dark (chocolate) side.  Score one for diabetes!

Almond Joy Brownies

Yield: 24-36 brownies (depending on your appetite)

INGREDIENTS
Your favorite brownies (scratch, mix, smix, whatever). 
My go-to brownie recipe is always Baker's One Bowl Brownie recipe because as much as I love my KitchenAid, I don't always like to clean the damn thing and a bowl and spoon are EASY.  If I am making them for the dieting bunch, I will buy the No Pudge mix (remarkably non-mix tasting, not a fan of fakey) or make it from scratch.
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I use Fat Free, doesn't taste any different)
1 1/2 C shredded coconut
1 C slivered almonds (toasted is extra yum)
1 C (8oz.) dark chocolate (around 60% cacao is ideal but everyone has a different palette, hence the baking chocolate lover above)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line 9"x13" pan with that lovely nonstick foil.  Prepare your choice brownies accordingly and spread in pan.  Sprinkle coconut, almonds and chocolate over batter.  Pour condensed milk over top.  Bake for 35 min. and lure that dessert ditcher to the land of sugar.

Nutrition (based on 24 servings): 350 cal, 19 g fat, 78mg sodium, 42g carb, 36g sugar, 8g protein

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