Chocolate Dreams Cookies

These cookies puff up beautifully while baking. The aroma while baking is just wonderful. These cookies are delicious and very sinful. They are moist, kind of like a fudgy cookie inside with a slight crunch on the outside. The marshmallow and frosting makes this cookie very sinful not to mention the crunch of the pecans. "Yummy, yummy for your tummy." I didn't have half pecans, so I used chopped ones and just pressed the dough into them, making sure that they stick to the bottom of the dough. This decadent cookie is a must try if you love chocolate.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/2 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pecan halves (I used chopped and they worked out great giving you a bunch of nut crunch)
• Large marshmallows (cut in thirds; dip scissors into hot water to prevent sticking a must to do)

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used baker's bittersweet chocolate as I love the taste of dark chocolate)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar*

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate, butter and milk in a double boiler, mixing well until smooth. Remove from heat and add enough confectioners' sugar until you achieve a nice smooth frosting of dipping consistency. Set aside until ready to use. If the frosting gets a bit thick, just place back on simmering water and whisk until smooth.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
3. Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
4. Sift all of the dry ingredients and add to mixing bowl, mixing to combine well.
5. Place pecan halves on prepared cookie sheet (I used nonstick cookie sheets and didn't have to grease the sheets and it worked out great), and place a ball of dough on each nut (we make these fairly small, like a tea cookie).
6. Bake for 8 minutes.
7. Remove cookies from oven, place a marshmallow on each cookie and return to the oven for about 3 minutes (long enough to start to melt the marshmallow, but not brown).
8. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. This step is very important as if you try to dip them in the frosting, they will fall apart. I gave them 5 minutes to cool and set up.
9. Dip the cookie tops completely in the frosting, and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and allow the frosting to set up.

Notes

* I didn't use the whole pound of confectioners' sugar; use your judgment as to the consistency of the frosting.

I weigh out the cookie dough with a digital scale to 1/2 ounce to give them a uniform size and dip the dough into the chopped pecans.

Attribution

Posted by BettyBoop at Recipe Goldmine 11/16/2001 12:47 pm.