I like baking. I like trying new recipes. Sometimes I like taking a new look at an older recipe to see if I can tweak it to try a new flavor or technique... or sometimes my goal is to simplify it. This is a story about the latter.Recently, I made a batch of homemade marshmallows as a gift for my Mom. She loves them! (And if you've never had them yourself, you need to try them... they are these amazing little puffs of deliciousness!) In any case, After packing up my gift for my Mom, I had quite a few marshmallows left over and I thought about making S'Mores Cookies using my recipe from the 2012 Currier and Ives Cookie Tour.The recipe is not difficult, but it takes some time. You first make a cookie that tastes like a graham cracker and right when the cookie comes out of the oven, you press a marshmallow on top (homemade or store-bought). Then you have to wait until it cools, melt some chocolate, pour the melted chocolate over the top of the marshmallow/cookie, and add sprinkles or another decoration (if you like). Then you have to wait for the chocolate to cool before you can eat it. And while this makes a delicious cookie that can be stacked and stored nicely, it does involve quite a bit of waiting for things to cool.Fast forward to the present... I want to make the S'Mores Cookies, but would like to speed things up a bit. How?... by making a mash-up between my original recipe and a Hershey Kiss "Blossom"-style cookie recipe. This time, you make the cookie dough, and when the cookie comes out of the oven you place the marshmallow on top. Wait 3 or 4 minutes for the marshmallow to soften from the heat of the cookie, then press an unwrapped Hershey Kiss on top. Voila! S'Mores Cookies! Pretty... and faster than the original!That said, I am doubtful that this new version would stack or store as well as the original version, but if you are just looking to have fun for a party or family picnic, these would be great!So here are the recipes... the updated S'more Cookies recipe with the Hershey Kiss variation added at the end... and the Homemade Marshmallows recipe (try 'em... really!). Enjoy! S'Mores Cookies Recipe - updated Homemade Marshmallows Recipe - updatedAnd by the way... the date for this year's Cookie Tour has already been set! Mark your calendars for the 14th Annual Currier & Ives Cookie Tour on Saturday, December 8, 2018 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
