Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
When all else fails, make cookies!
Try this 2AM experimental cookie that I made during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I don't talk about it much, but I ran a cake business out of my home for a bit before culinary school. Those conversations don't come up much anymore because a LOT OF emphasis is placed on my fitness. I lost a bit of time while traveling to different races and my husband watched me have anxiety about a few cake orders that went to hell.
Baking is a science and requires you to be much more meticulous about your effort than most stove top adventures. you haven't lived until you watched your cake make a big ass donut sized hole in the center or cried over an uncalibrated oven -- meaning one side might be baking at 275 degrees and the other at 350 degrees F.
With that said, I love cookies. I cried less over a FUCKED-UP batch of cookies than an aggravating cake. These might piss you off but if you follow these steps, you might not encounter too many issues. To those who watched me experiment on Instagram and Facebook stories, thanks for riding out with me until 2AM: The Ungodly Quarantine Hour.
What You Need
Makes approximately 36 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (this means dark brown sugar)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oatmeal
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallow (or about 36 or so of them mini suckers -- one for each cookie)
The Rundown
Cream together butter and sugars in a standing mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer for 3 minutes on a medium setting.
Add in egg and vanilla to blend for a few minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom; sometimes butter sticks to the bottom and doesn't fully incorporate together.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and blend together.
Turn your standing mixer setting down to low and add in flour mixture until the dough starts to come together.
Fold in oatmeal and chocolate chips until incorporated.
Chill dough for an hour or so in the fridge or you can cut that time in half by popping that baby into the freezer. You can do this by wrapping it in plastic until you're ready to back to the recipe. Chilling the dough is critical in my opinion but if you want to take your chances skipping this step, I cannot guarantee it'll come out right. If you decide to freeze your cookie dough, allow it to hit room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or so to take off that chill or add on an extra minute to the baking time.
Chef Tip: Use a small or medium sized cookie scoop. Oatmeal based cookie dough tends to be sticky as hell if not chilled and you want your cookies to be somewhat uniform. It's very helpful in the baking process.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment paper for ease of clean up. In my baking process, I found that I didn't need it.
If you do not have a cookie scoop, a heaping on a teaspoon will work. Stuff a marshmallow or two into the center of each cookie. There's a higher chance that your cookie will not look like a caramelized disaster when you practice this method. If you want, you can push it on top like a thumb cookie.
Space out cookies at least 3 to 4 inches apart to allow them to spread.
Baking time is around 18 minutes but peek on them around the 10 minute mark. If you suspect that your oven is slightly uncalibrated, rotate the pan at the halfway point.
Allow your cookies to fully cool off before popping them off the sheet tray. Get an airtight container to store your delicious bad boys or pop them on a snazzy plate if they're not going to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Other Suggestions and Tips
You can freeze your cookie dough for a few months and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
When baking, some things like eggs and butter work best at room temperature. This doesn't mean allowing your items to melt or hover in the danger zone (70 degrees to 120 degrees F) but enough time to take off the chill. The creaming process in butter or the way that eggs can re harden fat if cold affects your end product. I did mention that this is all science, right?
Add flour mixtures in portions versus dumping all at once.,
Folding chocolate chips by hand might work out better than using the electric mixer.
I tested out this recipe at 300 degrees and 325 degree F which worked out phenomenally. If you desire, this recipe might be forgiving at 350 but shave down a minute or two to prevent burning. Your cookies should be nice and chewy.
