It's the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man.

First of all, am I the only one that thought it was Stay Puff?  Anyway, I made fudge for Christmas and it turned out gritty.  The reason?  I used generic marshmellow cream.  Only use brand name when making fudge.  But that gritty fudge was a good excuse to make Marcel Desaulnier's Million Dollar Cookies.  These spread and are flat cookies on the crunchy side.  For thicker cookies that don't spread add more flour.  I would say about a cup but I haven't tested it.  

Marcel's Million Dollar Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate, melted
3 cups chopped pecans, toasted (toast on baking sheet 10 minutes at 350 degrees; cool before using)
1 pound semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (I used cut up fudge)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt onto wax paper. Set aside until needed. Place the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium speed for 6 minutes until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to beat on medium 4 minutes longer, until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium for 1 minute and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the melted white chocolate; beat on medium for 1 minute, until incorporated.

Gradually, using low speed, add the sifted ingredients, followed by the pecans and chocolate; mix for 1 minute until incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough. Using 2 heaping Tbs. of dough for each cookie (about 2 ounces), portion 6 cookies onto each of 2 non-stick baking sheets. Or use parchment paper or a Silpat liner. Bake on the top and center racks for 15-17 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center about halfway through the baking time (also turn each sheet 180 degrees).
Let cookies cool on baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Per cookie: 276 calories, 3g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 17g fat (8g saturated), 117mg sodium.

How to Get Rid of Leftover Cake

The place is loaded with all sorts of Christmas goodies and an birthday cake on top of that.  So when a invite to a small get together comes in with a bring the treat assignment one  thinks, "perfect I can get rid of this cake."  And then you turn to look at it and see this:

But then it turns into this: 

Cake Balls or Cake Pops From Leftover Cake

Or What To Do With Leftover Cake

Make about 40 balls from half of a cake 

Half of a leftover cake ( I think I said that already)

6 oz chocolate chips, I used Andes Baking Chips

1 1/2 T. shortening or coconut oil

Some kind of embellishment

Scrap the frosting off of the top and sides of the cake.   Leave the frosting in the middle.  Put the remaining cake in a bowl and mash it all together.  I used my hands.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Place on a cookie sheet, tray or plate lined with parchment or waxed paper.  Place in the refrigerator or freezer for a bit to firm up.  Meanwhile place the chips and shortening or coconut oil in a heat proof bowl.  Place over simmering water to melt the chocolate.  Mix the melted chips and oil.  Take the chilled balls out of the fridge or freezer.  Since they are slightly firm and will hold their shape better, fix any misshaped ones.  Using 2 spoons, dip them one at a time in the melted chocolate and roll them around a couple of times.  Lift out and drain just a bit.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper.  If adding a sprinkle, do so while the chocolate is still wet.  Once the cookie sheet is full, you can place in the fridge to quicken the hardening process.  

I doubled the chocolate and shortening.  I don't think 6 oz is enough.

Dry, Stale Andies Baking Chips

Just add fat.  And pour over fat.  

Mint Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping (AKA Magic Shell)

Adapted from The New York Times

Makes about 1 cup for about 6 scoops of ice cream

10 oz. Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips

3 T. coconut oil

Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in the coconut oil and heat until dissolved, about 1 minute. Keep the liquid lukewarm until ready to pour over the ice cream. Chocolate will harden into a shell within a few seconds when spooned over ice cream. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of our favorite cookies!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2.5 T. water
1 t. vanilla
1 t salt
1/2 t soda
3 cup oats
1 c flour
2 cups choc chips (can substitute raisins)

Cream butter with mixer on high for 2 min. Add brown sugar and sugar and cream together. Add egg. Mix well until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, salt, and soda. Mix in oats. Stir in flour until just mixed in. Stir in chocolate chips until just evenly distributed.

Dropped onto cookie sheet. I use an ice cream scooper to measure out the dough.

Bake 350 for 10 1/2 to 11 min, less if making smaller cookies.

To sub shortening: 3/4 cup shortening and increase water to 4 Tbsp

Hankering

Someone around here had a hankering for malted milk. That was 3 years ago. The jar of malted milk is only missing about 1 tablespoon of powder. Not as good as you remember it as a child? When I saw this recipe for malted milk cookies, I jumped at it. Hmmm...more like sauntered. Two ounces of malted milk powder used up. Only 10 more ounces to go.

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

From thepioneerwoman.com
Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Softened
• ¾ cups Golden Brown Sugar
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1-¼ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups (rounded) Malted Milk Powder
• 1 bag (12 Ounce) Milk Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy. Add eggs and beat slightly, then add vanilla and beat until combined. Add malted milk powder and beat until combined.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating gently until just combined.
Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.
Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake less if you want chewy cookies; more if you want crispy cookies.
Optional: Allow to cool completely, then use two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Add sprinkles to the sides of the ice cream, then wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Candy Corn Mix

Candy Corn Mix

24 oz. bag Brach's candy corn or Indian corn
16 oz jar of dry roasted peanuts
14 oz bag of M&Ms

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Eat. Then try to stop eating it.

Vary it anyway you like. You can add raisins, more peanuts, or use regular peanuts (that's what I had on hand). Or you can make just a candy corn and peanut mix using one jar of peanuts and one bag of candy corn. It taste's like a Payday. Just don't substitute the Brach's brand candy corn. Other candy corn isn't as good.