Peppermint Marshmallow Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

For those of you who are doing too much for the cookie swap

Here’s my life: I have two separate cookie exchange parties this weekend. Both on Saturday. Both starting at 2 p.m. And both hosted by gay men. Who share the same name. One is a cookie competition, and the other is just for fun. (But still, even at the latter, I think many people still think in back of their heads *I have to win this*.) I’m not in the actual competition because I won’t make it in time. But it’s *also* a convenient relief because, considering my job, it would be a little embarrassing to compete and lose — AND IT WOULD BE EVEN WORSE to compete and WIN. This is an ugly little thought process with little evidence to support it, but if Taylor Swift is allowed to record her most unflattering feelings, then so am I!

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Music 🎧: The Christmas music playlist I’ve been curating for nearly 10 years
I went to look at when the first song on this playlist was added and it was 2014… and we just hit 100 songs! Congratulations! I think I have great taste in this genre. I love Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas album, especially the live one from her special. And yeah, there’s a lot of Pentatonix and Lea Michele. I won’t apologize! Favorite it so you can come back and listen over and over :)

Podcast 🎧: Other People’s Pockets
Money is one of those subjects we’re taught to not talk about openly, but that’s been changing, and I think that things like this podcast are partially to thank. If you’ve ever wondered how other couples deal with shared finances (even in an open marriage) or what its like to go through whole financial planning session, or how journalists, death doulas, and financial dominatrixes make and manage their money, tune in.

This Week’s Recipe

So as I said above, there are two types of cookie parties, the ones that are competitions, and the ones that no one will admit are a competition. I am probably going to be bringing these Peppermint Marshmallow Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches to the aforementioned cookie party this weekend.

They’re fun, they’re kind of a novelty/retro, they’re seasonal thanks to the peppermint flavor and candy cane topping, they have an array of textures, and who doesn’t love chocolate? I have previously called my chocolate-chocolate cookies with peppermint buttercream “peppermint hot chocolate in a cookie” but I take that all back. These are peppermint hot chocolate in a cookie — I mean, they even have marshmallow! I was really inspired by Yewande Komolafe’s Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies from NYTCooking and Erin Clarkson’s Hot Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

Don’t be intimidated by the marshmallow filling! If you have a candy or instant-read digital thermometer and a stand mixer, you can do it. I promise. Just keep a close eye on the temperature while the sugar, corn syrup and water melt together. If the temperature goes over 245°F, you’ll have to start over, which wouldn’t be the end of the world. Also, ensure you get an accurate read by making sure the probe of the thermometer is actually in the syrup, but isn’t touching the bottom of the pan (if using a digital thermometer).

Then, simply set your mixer on high and let it spin for about 12 minutes. At this point you CAN walk away. The marshmallow filling should be cool enough to not totally melt off the cookie when piped on, not too warm that it’s stringy when you try to lift up after piping a dollop — but also shouldn’t be left to sit around for more than 10 minutes or so or it will cool too much to pipe and the gelatin will begin to set it in the bag.

Peppermint Marshmallow Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

Makes about 25 cookie sandwiches