Cereal marshmallow chip cookies

It took me a while to come up with a title for these- the original name was cornflake marshmallow cookies, but I subbed Golden Grahams for the cornflakes so I changed that part of the title to a more general "cereal".  Then, I wanted to convey that these have chips in them - peanut butter AND chocolate, yay!- so I added that to the name as well.  An alternate name for these could be Cookies As Big As Your Face.  For real, y'all- you're gonna love these.  These are pretty special cookies, and I'm guessing that's partly due to the butter-to-flour ratio.  :)  And for all my fellow foodies, this is an adapted recipe from the acclaimed Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC.  They do a lot of creative flavor combinations and techniques, but some of it can be overwhelming to your average home chef (ie: me).  So this is a simpler version of their famous cornflake marshmallow cookies, courtesy of Shutterbean.  I made them last night for our Bachelorette watch party, and they were a BIG (pun intended) hit!    

CEREAL MARSHMALLOW CHIP COOKIES

Yield: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups cereal (I used Golden Grahams, original recipe calls for cornflakes)

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Cream together butter and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg and vanilla; beat for 4 to 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix just until dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.

With the mixer on low, add cereal and both chocolate & peanut butter chips; mix until just combined, 30 to 45 seconds. Add mini marshmallows and mix until just incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice-cream scoop or 1/3-cup measuring cup, portion dough out onto prepared baking sheet. Pat tops of cookie domes flat. Wrap baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 week (I chilled mine for 4 hours and they baked beautifully). ** Do not bake cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line additional baking sheets with parchment paper.  Arrange chilled dough at least 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake until puffed, cracked, spread, and browned on the edges, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets. (Resist the urge to mess with the cookies and let them cool completely on the baking sheets- they will continue to set and flatten as they cool).

Peanut butter S'mores 7-layer bars

It seems 7-layer/Magic bars are all the rage right now.  And trust me, I'm not complaining- I'm a big fan of layers of sugary goodness!!  With the addition of peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts, these aren't your average s'mores bar, either.  Try them, you'll love them!

PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES 7-LAYER BARS

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full graham crackers, ground)

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups chocolate chips 

1 cup peanut butter chips

2 cups Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup peanuts

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Spray generously with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mixture will be relatively crumbly. Press onto the bottom of the prepared dish and slightly up the sides. (Mixture will be thin, that's ok).

Layer chocolate chips and next 4 ingredients (in that order) into prepared baking pan. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.

Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. This will prevent the marshmallows from getting too brown. Place back into the oven and bake for 17-18 more minutes (for a total of 35-36 minutes). Allow to cool completely and lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

Surprise cookies

These marshmallow surprise cookies from Martha Stewart were the sweet treat at our Bachelorette watch party this week.  They are very chocolatey (my favorite), and the girls enjoyed baking them with me.  The soft marshmallow center is a delicious surprise!

SURPRISE COOKIES

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

For the frosting:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

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. Slowly 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 ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 9-10 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 begin to melt, approx 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. To prepare the frosting, place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. (Frosting will be lumpy at first- keep whisking).

6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Roasted zucchini salsa

Our favorite local Mexcian restaurant serves a great assortment of salsas, and one of the best is their zucchini salsa.  When I saw this recipe from Closet Cooking, I knew we were destined to try it.  It's a delicious side item, and would also work great as a sauce for tacos or nachos.  Yum!

ROASTED ZUCCHINI SALSA

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

1 handful cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Brush the zucchini with oil, place it on a baking sheet cut side up, and roast on top rack until tender, about 45 minutes.

Puree roasted zucchini and remaining ingredients in a food processor.  Serve with vegetable sticks or chips.

Corn and black eye pea salad

We had a nice, long weekend at the lake for the 4th, and that means grilling and eating well.  We made this corn and black eye pea salad from Reluctant Entertainer, and it was a HUGE hit!  Such bright, fresh flavors, which makes it the perfect summer side dish.

CORN AND BLACK EYE PEA SALAD

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Sea salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 can black eye peas, drained

6 ears fresh corn, blanched and cut off the cob

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup diced orange or red bell pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 Tbsp. basil, chopped

1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in olive oil, which will slightly thicken the dressing.

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 1 minute; put directly into ice water. Cool and cut off the cob.

Mix the corn kernels and black eye peas, along with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Gently toss with the dressing, and season to taste.