Wow, could it possibly be May already?  Well, considering that today is Mother’s Day, then yes, it must be.  I completely missed posting in April all together – I think that may just be a first for me – but I have not given up.  I am just slowing down a bit as the other parts of my life have been ramping up.  There are only so many hours in each day, and in order to try and stay sane, I have decided not to do it all.  Boy does that feel good to get out in the open.

Last month I forgot those words though, and I signed up for Book Larder’s Cookie Contest.  I knew it was the last possible thing I needed to do in my life, but I knew the girls would love it, so I gave in.  A few days before the contest, I still hadn’t decided what to make – and that’s where my very capable daughter came to the rescue.  She decided to test out a recipe that looked just AMAZING from the Martha Stewart’s Cookie book – and we were all sold.  They were moist, chocolatey, and had a fluffy marshmallow in the center.

Unfortunately we didn’t win, but that’s not at all why I did this.  We had a fun couple of hours stressing out trying to finish these cookies in time to get there for the judging – it was exactly my style – nothing like getting there just in time.  But we did, and it was super fun.  I must say that there are a lot of awesome bakers in Seattle.

So to all the mother’s out there – today is your day – and I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourself.  Maybe next weekend you can bake these cookies for your kids to thank them…Happy Mother’s Day!!

Ingredients

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

Chocolate Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 t. cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup plus 2 T. milk
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

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

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. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

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, 8 to 10 minutes. (I think next time I’ll only bake them 7 minutes)

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 begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Place confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.