Alex's Moon Pies

So many of you asked for this recipe, and Nicole my web manager, was like "We have to post this story and the recipe!" so here you are...here's the story about Alex's moonpies.My daughter Alex has always been a great baker; maybe it's her analytic Virgo nature, but baking has always appealed to her. Although she is a good cook, baking is her thing. One of the best things she makes, (her Dad's favorite) is Moon Pies. This Thanksgiving, she shared the story of how she became acquainted with the recipe I had never heard the story and thought it was fun.She was not very familiar with Moon Pies. Although it is a quintessentially Southern sweet, it's not something that she grew up with in our house. Most kids grew up on Little Debbie's Moon Pies in Atlanta, but not our kids. Although we do enjoy Southern fare, this was not something in the pantry while they were growing up. Not because they aren't delicious, but they were never on my radar probably because of my Midwestern roots. (Note* I had never tasted a biscuit until I was 23 years old when we moved to Atlanta.) Southern food was a mystery to me. I digress...Alex went to Law school, and when she graduated she found herself in Fitzgerald, Georgia, in the deep South clerking for a Judge. She loved living in this small town and working in the courthouse. The Judge was very kind, and she learned a lot.One day, she walked into the Judge's office and said, "I know it's your birthday next week, and I would love to bake you something you would enjoy, so if there's something special you like let me know." The next day the Judge came into her office with a recipe for Moon Pies. Having never tasted a Moon Pie, she was a bit nervous about making them for his special day. Even though the recipe was involved, she thought they turned out great, although she never tasted the batch, she delivered them on his birthday hoping for the best. The next day he came into her office and declared that the Moon Pies were absolutely delicious! Relived and curious, Alex made the recipe again, this time tasting them. Wow, she thought, worth all the effort. They were truly incredible.Moon Pies have now become Alex's signature dessert, her Dad asks for them for all birthdays and holidays. They have become a staple dessert. Who knew what we were missing all those years.Here is the recipe from Garden and Gun Feb/March 2014:It is labor-intensive, but truly worth the effort.

Do-It Yourself Moon Pies

For the dough, you will need:- 6 oz. unsalted butter- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed- 1/4 cup Steen's cane syrup- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, ground fine- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt- 1/2 tsp. baking powder- 1/2 tsp. baking soda- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon- 2 tbsp. whole milk

For the Marshmallow, you will need:- F4 tsp. powdered gelatin- 1/2 cup water, ice cold, plus 1/4 cup at room temperature- 4 tbsp. light corn syrup- 3 tbsp. honey (clover or wildflower)- 3/4 cup granulated sugar- 3 large grade-A egg whitesFor the chocolate coating, you will need:- 1 lb bittersweet chocolate (61-70% cacao)- 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil.

To prepare:

For the cookie dough:

Cream butter, brown sugar, syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix on low speed; slowly stream in milk. Continue mixing until the dough comes together. Press dough flat, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Turn out chilled dough onto a flour-dusted surface, then roll it until it is ¼ inch thick. Stamp out cookies using a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, and while the cookies are cooling, start your marshmallow.

For the marshmallow:Sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup ice-cold water, and set aside.Combine ¼ cup room-temperature water, corn syrup, honey, and sugar in a small pot, insert candy thermometer, and simmer until mixture reaches 240 degrees. When the thermometer reaches 200 degrees—but not before—place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip on high.Once the sugar mixture hits 240, remove it from heat, and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Then, while egg whites are whipping, slowly drizzle the hot sugar mixture down the inside of the bowl to avoid spattering the hot syrup. Continue whipping for an additional 8 minutes, until the mixture stiffens. The pan will still feel warm to the touch but no longer hot.Flip over half of the cooled cookies. Lightly coat a spoon with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon approximately a quarter cup of marshmallow onto each flipped cookie. Use the remaining cookies as tops; gently push down until you can see the marshmallow come just to the edge. While making the chocolate coating (see below), allow cookies to chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.For the chocolate coating: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate has melted, then remove bowl from heat and let it cool slightly. Once the chocolate is no longer hot, but warm, slowly whisk in oil in a steady stream. Allow chocolate to cool at room temperature for about 5 minutes before proceeding with assembly.To Assemble: Submerge chilled cookies in the chocolate, using 2 forks to gently lift the sandwiches out of the bowl. Let stand until shell hardens.Photos: Garden and Gun, Feb/March 2014 Photo Credit : Johnny Autry, Recipe by David Guas Current restaurant: Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery, Arlington, VA