Chocolate Surprise Cookies

When I get bored on any given day or need help falling asleep, I pull a cookbook off the shelf and start reading, hoping for some baking inspiration. Last week, it was Martha Stewart's Cookies and flipping through, I came across this recipe for Chocolate Surprise Cookies. Lo and behold, I had all of the ingredients on hand, including a bag of marshmallows that I bought a long time ago for something else and so I made it a plan to bake these on Motzei Shabbat. It was to be a marshmallow themed evening, right alongside the Marshmallow Candy Cups. It's funny because every time I hear the word marshmallow, I go back in time to my sixth grade spelling bee where my friend got out for spelling marshmallow with an "e" instead of an "a". Hard times for a sixth grader back then. Anyway, these cookies start with a cookie base. Towards the end of baking (making sure not to over bake the cookies!) a half a marshmallow is tucked into the middle and allowed to bake a minute longer. When they are cooled, a generous dollop of chocolate frosting is slathered on to conceal the marshmallow... thus becoming the surprise. Although there are a few steps, leaving alot of chocolatey dishes in their wake, this recipe really is pretty simple and the results, at least according to the soldiers who ate them, worth the effort.
Chocolate Surprise Cookies
from Martha Stewart's Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
12 marshmallows, cut in half

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Set aside.
For the cookies: Whisk together the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, beating until combined. Add in the dry ingredients, beating until well blended.

Using a small-ish cookie scoop, scoop onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each. These cookies don't spread terribly, so you can place them relatively close together. Bake for about nine minutes.

Open the oven door and carefully place a marshmallow half on each cookie, pressing down to make sure they stick. Bake for a minute or two more. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, place the sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in margarine and cocoa powder. Blend in the milk and vanilla and blend to a smooth consistency. Run through a sieve if necessary to remove all the lumps.

Generously frost each cookie, covering the marshmallow as best as you can on all sides. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!