Description
Pillowy Marshmallow Buttercream pressed between two soft and chewy milk chocolate cookies—warm and cozy “hot cocoa” hugs with every bite!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Milk Chocolate Cookies
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226 grams) 30% cacao milk chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 7 ounces (198 grams) marshmallow crème
Instructions
- In the top of a double boiler, combine cold butter and chocolate. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat sugars and eggs at medium-high speed for 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl halfway through mixing and after mixing. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in chocolate mixture, beating until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Sift flour mixture over sugar mixture, and gently fold with a silicone spatula until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Let dough stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes to hydrate. (This allows some of the moisture to redistribute, giving you a more scoop-able dough, deeper flavor, and even bake).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough, and place 3 to 4 inches apart on prepared pans. 7. Bake, one batch at a time, until edges are set, centers are still soft, and tops look crackly, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. (Cookies will deflate and become even more crackly on top as they cool). Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Make the Marshmallow Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup (60 grams) at a time, beating until combined after each addition (1 to 2 minutes total). Increase mixer speed to medium-high speed, and beat for 2 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in marshmallow crème until combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Place Marshmallow Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a wide round piping tip (Wilton No. 12 or 2A). Pipe buttercream in a spiral motion onto flat side of half of cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Best enjoyed same day. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If refrigerating, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to let the buttercream soften.
Notes
- Make the cookies first and then the buttercream: you have to let your cookies cool completely anyways, so you’ll have plenty of time to make the buttercream while you wait.
- Don’t skip the step that says to let the dough hydrate for 30 minutes! This ensures you can properly scoop the dough and affects how they will bake too. If you skip this step, the cookies may not bake correctly and be hard to handle.
- Make sure to let your milk chocolate cookies cool completely before piping on the marshmallow buttercream! If they’re too warm it’ll just melt the buttercream and your cookies won’t stick together and it will make a mess.