Challenge Book #20 - Chocolate Marshmallow Clouds

Believe it or not, these biscuits are called marshmallow clouds. You can't really see it can you? Puffy, fluffly, cottony....? No. More like deflated marshmallow balloons. Like they've smacked into a rosebush and fallen splat onto the ground

This is all my own fault. It was only when I was in the kitchen surrounded by ingredients and all set to bake that I realised that the marshmallows were supposed to be frozen. BOTHERATION!!!!

I reasoned that the mallows would have plenty of time to freeze while I was making the batter. So I hurled them in and got started. It was a bit optimistic to say the least. By the time I came to form the biscuits they were only a bit frozen around the edges.

So I fidgeted around for a while. Then I fidgeted around for a bit more. Then I got fed up. Watched marshmallows never freeze!!!!!! I decided to just get on with it.

I'm hopeless at this kind of thing. I was not born with a waiting gene. I am the kind of person that constantly pokes at things to see if they are done yet - jelly that is trying to set, jam that is trying to gel, bread that is trying to rise, cakes that are trying to cool, sauces that are trying to reduce, meat that's trying brown. I'm there doing minute by minute reports in forensic detail.



Fortunately, in this case it really didn't matter too much. Yes, they don't look fantastic. I wouldn't serve them at any formal occasion. But they tasted great. The biscuits are quite soft and fudgy with the chips providing hits of chocolately goodness. With the addition of marshmallow - yum.



I found this recipe in the Mrs Fields Cookie Book, which is Book #20 in the KJ wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge (where I have to make a recipe from every book I own before I can buy a new one). I bought this book somewhere back in the depths of time. It has been well used but not by me. I think I have lent it to everyone I know at some point or other.

I'm kinda fascinated by Mrs Fields. In her picture in this book she is the very archetype of the late 1980's - big hair, big nails and big lipstick. Apparently, she is no longer Mrs Fields, having divorced and remarried. Whooooops!!




Jessica's Marshmallow Cloud
(adapted from Mrs Field's Cookie Book)

3 cups plain flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
225gm unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tspn vanilla extract
2 cups of chocolate chips
225gm mini or chopped marshmallows, frozen

Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and the chocolate chips. Blend until combined. The mix will be quite stiff.

Group some marshmallows in your hand and encase them in the cookie dough. Make a ball about 5cm across.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet spaced well apart. Bake 8-10 minutes in a 200C oven. Leave to cool for 3-4 minutes on the tray and then transfer to a cooling rack.