Mississippi Mud Cookies

I have noticed that I have been on a bar cookie kick this week and was almost going to do another one. However, it will have to wait for another day. I decided to throw in a chocolate cookie to spice things up. Today's selection came from the August 2007 issue of Southern Living. Mississippi Mud Cake is a lot like Coconut Cake in that if you like the main ingredient then you like the dessert. Meaning, you have to like marshmallows for today's dessert. Marshmallows were a staple in my family growing up. There was always a bag or a jar on hand to add to desserts or side dishes. So this was not a hard to decision in choosing this recipe because it brought me back to the days when my Mimi, my grandmother, would make Mississippi Mud Cakes in an enormous sheet cake pan and the marshmallows would peak out the sides of the frosting. Yum.
A few notes on this recipe. It is basically a nutty chocolate cookie with marshmallows on top. The cookie has a strong dark chocolate salty flavor that is balanced by the sweet marshmallows. Very tasty. I had to microwave the chocolate chips for 1 1/2 minutes on High and I used a cookie scoop to get the right amount of dough. Make sure you stick the marshmallows deep enough in the cookie so they don't fall out when they bake.

Mississippi Mud Cookies
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup + 2 tablespoons miniature marshmallows

Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at high 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each new addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets or foil lined pan. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. (Mine baked in 11 minutes.) Remove to wire racks for cooling.