Surprise Cookies

To stack cookies, wait until frosting dries, then place waxed paper in between the layers to keep the frosting from smearing.

Ingredients:

• 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 for Surprise Cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk 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 eggs, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. 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, 10 to 12 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 begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Sweet Swirl Marshmallows Recipe

Ingredients:

• Butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 8 to 10 drops red or green food color

Directions:

1. Generously grease bottom and sides of 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar. Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle or whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water; set aside.
2. In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium-low and heat syrup to boiling. Boil without stirring until syrup reaches 240 degrees F on candy thermometer, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from heat.
3. With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto paddle or whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is white and has almost tripled in volume, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add peppermint extract and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer. Randomly drop four drops of red or green food color into marshmallow mixture in bowl; fold 3 to 4 times to swirl color.
4. Pour into baking dish. Smooth top with damp rubber spatula. Drop red or green food color randomly on top of marshmallow mixture. Using toothpick, pull food color through marshmallow mixture to create swirl pattern over top. Let stand uncovered at least 4 hours.
5. Sprinkle cutting board with about 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar. Place remaining powdered sugar in small bowl. To remove marshmallow mixture, loosen sides from dish, and gently lift in one piece onto cutting board. Spray sharp knife with cooking spray. Cut marshmallows into 1-inch squares (11 rows by 7 rows). Dust bottom and sides of each marshmallow by dipping into bowl of powdered sugar. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Caramel Marshmallow Treats Recipe

60 Servings / Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 package (14 ounces) caramels
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Spice Island Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 package (16 ounces) large marshmallows

Directions:

1. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside. Place cereal in a shallow bowl. In a large saucepan, cook and stir the milk, caramels and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
2. With a toothpick, dip each marshmallow into warm caramel mixture; turn to coat. Press marshmallow bottoms in cereal; place on prepared pans. Let stand until set. Yield: 5 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 pieces) equals 106 calories, 4 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Hot Chocolate Mug Cake

Bake your favorite chocolate cake batter in individual mugs for a warming winter dessert.

Ingredients:

• Cooking Spray
• Chocolate cake batter
• Marshmallow Creme

Instructions:

1. Simply coat the insides of oven sage mugs with cooking spray, then fill the mugs halfway with chocolate cake batter. We used a mix for German chocolate cake, which is a lighter color than regular chocolate cake and looks more like hot cocoa.
2. Follow the cupcake baking instructions on the cake mix package. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool for about 15 minutes.
3. Top each mug with a generous dollop of marshmallow creme and serve with a spoon. One cake mix makes enough batter for 12 of out mugs; if you want fewer than a dozen, bake the remaining batter in a small pan.

Crispy Cereal Cutouts

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 10-ounce bags marshmallows
• 12 cups crisp rice cereal
• 10 to 12 wooden craft sticks or skewers
• 8 ounces vanilla - or chocolate-flavor candy coating
• Broken pretzels
• Assorted small candies and gumdrops

Directions:

1. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil. Butter the foil; set pan aside.
2. Place butter or margarine in a large bowl. Microwave on high about 1 minute 30 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows and microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Remove from microwave oven and stir in rice cereal. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. With buttered hands pat mixture evenly into the pan. Chill mixture for 30 minutes or until firm.
3. For snowmen, cut out cereal mixture with 2- and 3-inch rounds cookie cutters. Insert a craft stick of skewer into each snowman. Hold over a bowl of melted vanilla-flavor candy coating; spoon coating over snowman. Add broken pretzels for arms. Decorate with small candies and gumdrops. Place on wire racks until candy coating is set.
4. For bears, cut out the cereal mixture with a 4-1/2-inch bear-shape cutter. Insert a craft stick or skewer into each bear. Hold over a bowl of melted chocolate-flavor candy coating; spoon coating over bear. Decorate with small candies and gumdrops. Place on wire racks until candy coating is set. Makes 10 to 12.

About this recipe

Enlist kids to help cut shapes - snow people, critters, and toys - for these easy no-bake cookies.

Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn

Ingredients:

• Small paper cups
• Ice-Cream sticks
• Mini Marshmallows
• Popcorn 50g (before popping)
• Bitter Chocolate 90g
• Butter 10g

Method:

1. Pop popcorn according to instructions. Set aside.
2. Line 3-4 paper cups with mini marshmallows.
3. Over a water bath, melt bitter chocolate with butter.
4. Toss pop corn (you will have more than enough pop corn. I used the paper cup, taking care to pack the pop corn tightly.
5. Spoon coated pop corn into marshmallow lined paper cups to fill 1/5 of the cup, taking care to pack the pop corn tightly.
6. Insert an ice- cream stick into the popcorn, continue filling the cups with coated popcorn and pack tightly. (You will pack very tightly otherwise, the ice- cream stick may come off when you de-mold the popsicles)
7. Refrigerate to set chocolate.
8. Use a paring knife, go round the rim of the cup to loosen the popcorn. Carefully ease out the popsicles from the paper cup.
9. Additional marshmallows can be stuck onto the base using melted chocolate as the ‘glue’. If you do that, return the popsicle to the refrigerator for a few minutes to set it further.

Marshmallow Snowmen

Ingredients:

• Marshmallows
• Melted Caramels
• Gingersnaps
• Decorative elements (sprinkles, royal icing, pretzel sticks, spice drops, fruit leather, food coloring and pink Cake Mate Decors)

Preparation:

1. Dip a marshmallow in melted caramels; place on a gingersnap. Put sprinkles over excess caramels. Halve a marshmallow for head and attach with royal icing. Insert pretzels in body.
2. Flatten a spice drop; attach another to form hat. Cut scarves and bow ties from fruit leather; tuck under head. Dye royal icing and pipe eyes, nose and buttons. Attach pink Decors for cheeks.

Edible Chocolate Marshmallow Dreidels

Ingredients:

• 12 chocolate kisses
• 8 ounces melted semisweet chocolate
• 12 marshmallows
• 12 thin pretzel sticks
• 2 ounces melted white chocolate

Directions:

1. Dip bottom of chocolate kisses in melted semisweet chocolate. Press onto marshmallow; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat to make 12 dreidels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
2. Cut a small slit in bottom of each marshmallow; insert 1 thin pretzel stick. Dip dreidels in chocolate, and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
3. Fill as resealable plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a tiny opening in a corner, and pipe Hebrew letters onto 3 sides of each dreidel. Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving.

Fluffernutter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 small jar marshmallow creme

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth. I do this by hand.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Add the salt and baking soda. Stir until mixed together.
5. Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place the cookie dough balls on the greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.
6. With your thumb, press down the dough ball to make a puddle in the middle of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven. Press down the cookies with your thumb again. Do this quickly because the cookie will be hot. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for two minutes.
7. Move cookies to a wire rack and cool. Once cool, take a spoonful of marshmallow cream and fill the center of the peanut butter cookie. The marshmallow creme will be sticky, but try to smooth it out as best as your can. Fill all the cookies and serve.

Bubblin’ Swamp Juice Recipe

4 Servings / Prep/Total Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup vanilla or white chips
• 12 drops green food coloring
• 8 drops yellow food coloring
• 1/4 cup miniature marshmallows
• 4 centipede gummies

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat milk and chips over medium heat. Whisk until chips are melted and mixture in blended (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in food coloring. Garnish with marshmallows and candy. Yield: 4 servings.