Monday Sweets: Mississippi Mud Cookies

{Monday Sweets: I already post a dessert about once a week, so I decided to make habit bringing a little sweetness to the most blah day of the week.}

These babes are the cookie cousin of chocolate-marshmallow Mississippi Mud Cake. The cookie is soft and chocolatey, with melted and solid chocolate chips mixed into the batter, and you place mini marshmallows on top of the dough for a s'more-like taste (minus the graham cracker). I found the Southern Living recipe while looking for a something new to share with my grandparents and with which to congratulate a friend who mastered public administration, and this one more than earned its spot in my cookie repertoire.

Notes: I left out the pecans. It seemed best to mush the marshmallows into the center of the dough ball. On the first batch, they were too close the the edge, and the marshmallow run-over stuck to the cookie sheet and caused a few cookies to crumble (and hence require an immediate consumption intervention).

Mississippi Mud Cookies

Southern Living, August 2007

1  cup  semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2  cup  butter, softened

1  cup  sugar

2  large eggs

1  teaspoon  vanilla

1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  baking powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1  cup  chopped pecans, optional

1/2  cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1  cup  plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows

1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup chocolate morsels.

4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.

5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.