Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies (Gluten-Free)

I make a special stop every time I'm in the grocery store to the fancy chocolate aisle. I usually go for something dark chocolate and salty, but lately my trips to Whole Foods have had me fawning over the chocolate covered marshmallows. Marshmallows are not usually my cup of tea, but for some reason, I pull them off the shelf every time I'm there to read the box, only to be reminded once again that these are not gluten-free.

Sometimes life just isn't fair.

Fueled with the injustice of it all, I made homemade chocolate cookies, and homemade marshmallows, and covered them with some high-quality bittersweet chocolate. I will never try the boxed chocolate covered marshmallows, but I am one million percent certain that these are better. They're so good. Just make them. The end.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies
makes one dozen

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk

2 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

8 oz bittersweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil


Stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Turn speed up to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn speed to low and mix in egg yolk. Add flour mixture and mixx just until combined.

Scoop dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your thumb, make an indent in the center of each cookie. Place cookies on pan in freezer for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, until set and dry-looking, but still soft. Cool a few minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack placed over a pan lined with parchment.

To make the marshmallow filling (swiss meringue), set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water (about an inch worth-make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water).

Pour the sugar and egg whites into the bowl and whisk constantly. Check the temperature every few minutes, while whisking, until it reaches 160 degrees F.

Pour hot sugar mixture into a bowl of a mixture fitted with the whisk attachment. Add vanilla bean innards. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is cool. 

When the cookies are cool, use a piping bag to fill the centers with swiss meringue (you can also just scoop filling into centers with a spoon). 

To melt the chocolate, place chocolate pieces in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir often with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted. Stir in oil. 

Spoon a large dollop of chocolate over each cookie, allowing it to drip down the sides so they're completely covered. Place in freezer to set.

When the cookies are set, they are ready to eat. Or you can place them in a bag and keep them in the fridge or freezer for a few days. They are good out of the fridge but GREAT straight from the freezer.