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Yields:
24
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs 30 mins
If you didn't catch a moon pie at your Mardi Gras parade this year, don't worry—use this recipe to make your own right at home. If you've never made a homemade moon pie before, this easy recipe will guide you through every step of the way. A nostalgic childhood classic, these chocolate-covered cookies are a labor of love to create. But, after one bite of these homemade treats, you'll understand why all of the effort is more than worth it.
What is a moon pie?
Moon pies are made up of three components: cookie, marshmallow and a chocolate coating. It all starts with buttery, delicate shortbread rolled thin. These shortbread cookies will sandwich a meringue filling which we make homemade, but you can sub in store-bought creme for an easy shortcut. Then, the entire thing is coated in a thin layer of melted dark cocoa mint chocolate. Many moon pies are covered by a simple chocolate mixture, but we decided to go with a dark chocolate mint variety to shake this classic up a bit.
Moon pies &Mardi Gras:
If you've never been to a Mardi Gras parade, you may be surprised to see these delicious treats flying through the air. Ever since the 70s, moon pies have been a staple item at Mardi Gras parades, tossed to the crowd just like beads or other treats. While you can buy this nostalgic classic prepackaged, it really will take your celebration to the next level to make them homemade.
Storage.
Any leftover moon pies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, where they'll keep for around 3 days.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies
- 2 2/3 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup
unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp.
baking soda
- 1 cup
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup
granulated sugar
- 1
large egg
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Marshmallow Filling
- 1
(1/4-0z./7-g.) package unflavored gelatin powder
- 3
large egg whites
- 1 cup
granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp.
corn syrup
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Assembly
- 4
(12-oz.) packages Wilton Dark Cocoa Mint Candy Melts (or other chocolate)
- 1/2 cup
vegetable or coconut oil
Directions
Shortbread Cookies
- Step 1Into a large bowl, sift flour and cocoa powder. Add salt and baking soda, then whisk to combine.
- Step 2In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and pale, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined, about 1 minute more. (If the mixture starts to look separated, continue to beat until it resembles thick cake batter, about 1 minute more.)
- Step 3Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients, one big spoonful at a time. Beat until dough comes together in large clumps. Be careful not to overmix. If there’s still flour at bottom of bowl, fold to incorporate with a spatula.
- Step 4On a clean work surface, form dough into a ball. Divide into 2 pieces. Roll one half of dough between 2 (14"-long) pieces of parchment to 1/2" thick. Slide onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Step 5Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment. Starting with first sheet of dough, punch out rounds with a 2 3/4"-round cookie cutter and place on prepared sheet. Roll scraps and repeat until all dough is used. Repeat with remaining dough sheet. Refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.
- Step 6Bake cookies until cookies appear dry around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet. Gently slide parchment and cookies onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Marshmallow Filling
- Step 1Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Using a fork, quickly mix to combine so no clumps form; the gelatin will absorb water and gel fast.
- Step 2In the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed.
- Step 3Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water until an instant-read thermometer registers 241° about 15 minutes total. Note: After about 5 minutes, you will see tiny bubbles simmering under surface of water, trying to erupt. The bubbles will then form around edge of saucepan at around 6 minutes, and those bubbles will start dancing around, trying to make their way to center of pan at around 7 minutes. The syrup will start bubbling more aggressively, and the tiny bubbles that were trapped underneath will break their way to surface. By 10 minutes, bubbles will be only on surface, and eventually, they will take longer and longer to pop. By 15 minutes, there will be bubbles all over, some big and some small, and some defiantly holding their shape. At this point, crank up speed on mixer to high. The egg whites should be just starting to form peaks as sugar syrup registers 244°.
- Step 4Scoop gelatin into a small saucepan. Heat on lowest setting just until gelatin melts, which happens quickly.
- Step 5Slowly pour sugar syrup into egg whites by setting pot along lip of bowl and drizzling on side of bowl so it doesn’t splash and beat to combine. Pour in melted gelatin (if it has solidified, return to stove over lowest heat until it melts) and continue to beat on high speed 1 minute. Add vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to medium and continue to beat until mixture cools slightly so bowl isn’t hot to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 6Immediately transfer marshmallow filling to a piping bag fitted with a large tip (such as Wilton 2A) to prevent it from setting. (If you don’t have a piping bag, no problem—you can fill cookies with a spoon.)
Assembly
- Step 1Arrange half of cookies on a work surface. Pipe or spoon a mound of filling (about 2 tablespoons) onto center of cookies. Let sit undisturbed until filling starts to set, about 15 minutes. (If using store-bought marshmallow creme, freeze cookies to firm up.)
- Step 2Place remaining cookies over filling (don’t press—the weight of the cookie is enough to sandwich it). Let sit at room temperature 3 hours.
- Step 3Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, microwave chocolate and oil in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
- Step 4Place cookies on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Spoon melted chocolate over cookies and coax down sides with the back of a spoon. Let set 30 minutes.
- Step 5Using a butter knife, remove moon pies from rack and transfer to a platter.
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