We originally made these as Chocolate-Caramel Thumbprints but after Cally tasted them she thought they tasted like the Martha Stewart Surprise Cookies. After pulling out my Martha Stewart Cookies book we found that the recipes were very similar so we decided to just drop some of the dough onto the cookie sheet bake them then top them with a half marshmallow. Martha does make a chocolate icing and she puts the icing over the marshmallow, that is how it gets it's name "Surprise" These are Cally's favorite cookies without the icing. They remind me of the Devils food cookies with the marshmallow in them.
To make both version of cookies we just made a double batch of dough and used half for each cookie
Chocolate-Caramel Thumbprints and Surprise Cookies
Better Homes and Gardens Very Merry Cookies
1 C flour
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg, separated, reserving the egg white
1/2 C butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
2 T milk
1 T vanilla
for Thumbprints you will need:
16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 T whipping cream
1 1/4 C finely chopped pecans
for Surprise cookies you will need:
13-15 large marshmallows cut in half crosswise
In a large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
for Thumbprint cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet ( I just use parchment paper on my cookie sheets) Lightly beat the reserved egg white. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in egg white then in pecans to coat. Place balls on the prepared cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball.
Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, re-press with the back of a small spoon. Spoon melted caramel mixture into the indentations in cookies.
In a small saucepan cook and stir caramels and whipping cream over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Slightly cool the caramel and spoon onto the cookies.
For surprise cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (I just use parchment paper on my cookie sheets) Using a 1 3/4 " ice cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, take out of the oven and press a half of marshmallow on top and return cookies to the oven for 2 more minutes.
If you wish to make your cookies a Marshmallow surprise you may make this icing and cover the marshmallow.
3 C powdered sugar
6 T butter
1/4 C plus 1 1/2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 C plus 2 T milk
3/4 t vanilla
Put powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Melt butter with the cocoa powder in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add butter mixture to powdered sugar. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
Spread about 1T of frosting on top of each cookie to cover the marshmallow. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Cookies can be stored in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
This icing reminds me of the icing on Schuler's chocolate cream filled donuts.