Awhile ago there was a book that was pretty popular called Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Personally, I’m from planet Earth and I didn’t speak either of those languages. If you are wondering what the book was about, it was a relationship book basically saying that men and women are from different planets when it comes to expressing how they feel and how they love. Basically a crock of shit. But, it made the author very rich…good for him.
When I saw this recipe I thought, maybe I should move to Mars because these sounded wonderful! They are a take on the Southern treat called Moon Pies(which I have never had but would like to). The traditional kind are sandwich cookies and these are more open faced. You could however make these into a sandwich cookie if you would like. I really love the use of the graham flour as it gives the cookie that graham cracker taste. I made smaller ones(shocking) than what the recipe called for and they turned out great. The marshmallow is wonderful and I plan to use it in a cake someday. And I already used the chocolate-caramel ganache in my Bailey’s cake so there are many ways to use the different components of these cookies.
If this is an indication of what life is like on Mars, maybe I really should move there. 🙂
Mars Pies
Cookies
Chocolate-Caramel Ganache
Chocolate-Marshmallow Filling
Chocolate Coating
All recipes follow
Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-grain graham flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar together, about 3 minutes until fluffy.
Add both flours, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated.
Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured flat surface.
Using a 3 ½ inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out six cookies(I used just a small biscuit cutters since I wanted mine smaller and got 14 cookies).
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the cookies completely on racks before covering with ganache.
Chocolate-Caramel Ganache
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
10 caramel candies, unwrapped
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until melted.
Chocolate Marshmallow Filling
1 ½ envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
6 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whit the gelatin into ½ cup of the cold water.Â
In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, remaining ½ cup of cold water, and salt with out stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage, registering 234 to 240F on a candy thermometer.
Add the warm sugar mixture to the gelatin mixture in a slow, thin stream, stirring continuously on low speed. Increase to high speed and beat about 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and cooled. Reduce the speed to low, add the cocoa powder 1 TBSP at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Chocolate Coating
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Microwave the chocolate in a bowl for 1 minutes on medium-high. Stir, and if the has not completely melted, keep microwaving for 30 second intervals. Stir until smooth.
To Assemble the Pies:
Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Spread a ¼ inch-thick layer of ganache on top of each cookie and refrigerate about 10 minutes, until set. Spread a layer of marshmallow filling(about 2 TBSP) over the ganache, it will flow over the edges of the cookie. Spoon about 2 to 3 TBSP of the melted chocolate to cover each cookie completely. Refrigerate the cookie about 10 minutes, until the chocolate layer has hardened. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer.
Adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman
Brittany says
Peabody- I’ve been reading your blog for months now, and never realized you live in Seattle…Where do you live? I live on Queen Anne…crazy small world. Where did you go to culinary school? I went to South. Any way, I just had to say hello from a fellow seattleite. And by the way- these little Mars pies are precious.
Laurel says
That looks amazing. I want it.
Meeta says
Mars, Venus – Earth wherever you decide to serve these I’ll follow you like a lost puppy for one of these treats. These look too good!
Kelly says
Peabody,
As a Yankee transplanted to the South, let me just tell you that no Moon Pie ever LOOKED as good as your cookie, and I HIGHLY doubt they taste anything close to as good as yours do.
Don’t try the Moon Pies….you’ll be disappointed!
Jenny says
Those look really good – but probably not for breakfast.
Katie says
Peabody,
I live in KY (the edge of the south) and I’d be happy to send you a real moonpie if you send me your address. They are not very good cold, but if you warm them up so the marshmallow gets all gooey…mmm, heaven.
Mallow says
Ooooo…those look good.
Susan Ramey says
I have been reading your blog for several weeks (forget how I got here). I love it. Your concoctions look wonderfully scrumptious, and your photography is great. I have one question: do you really bake all this stuff? And do you eat it? And do you weigh 10,000 pounds (I’m gaining weight just looking at the pictures)? Well, that’s three questions, but you get my drift. –Susan
Deborah says
You never disappoint!! I have had moon pies before, but this looks soooo much better!
Tanna says
Kelly’s right. After these, I’d think you’d be very disappointed in a Moon Pie. Hope you stay on earth as mars is a very long trip.
Anita says
It does look like a most delicious UFO…one I’d love to eat!!
Tartelette says
First of, don’t you dare move to Mars..Who whould satisfy my close-ups food porn addiction? Second, I shall make you B’s mom’s moon pies…all dipped in dark chocolate…to die for…and I don’t even like marshmallows that much (except roasted). Yum!
C'tina says
See? there you go again…looks absolutely heavenly!
Tanna says
On second thought, mars wouldn’t be so bad. When I was growing up I always thought I’d travel in space – not just be spacey.
Gigi says
Yum! I’d follow you to another galaxy for those moon pies!
breadchick says
OOOOOOHHHHHHH…. Moonpies! I love moonpies. These look absolutely scrumptious and somehow upscale
Kelly-Jane says
Moonpies – what a fabulous name 🙂 My sweet tooth is aching for a bite of this, they look amazing, your pictures are always great, but your second picture is especially good.
VeggieGirl says
haha, I couldn’t agree more – what a frivolous book! but this mars pie looks sensational :0)
Anh says
This is one masterpiece! I just wanna link the screen!
brilynn says
I think I’ll be moving to Mars too, I want some of these.
Natural Leap says
Too good to believe. What a great new recipe. Wonderful pictures…great post…Di
Lydia says
If you have any leftovers here on Earth, I’d be happy to help. I haven’t had a good moon pie in years!
Dolores says
Perfect timing friend; my team is working over the weekend and this “Peabody” just SCREAMS “end of quarter sweet treat for the sales operations team”!
ashley says
That first picture looks so incredibly delicious. Usually this is not the kind of cookie I would like but you’ve made it sound and look pretty damn good! Especially that cookie on the bottom.
StickyGooeyCreamyChewy says
Peabody, I just love your concoctions! Those Mars Pies look fabulous. I love Moon Pies (It’s a nostalgia thing.), but these look sooooo much better.
veron says
Oh my goodness, that does look like a heartstopping treat! let’s all move to Mars. When’s the interstellar flight?
P.S. I read the book, but I don’t remember a thing he said.
clumsy says
These look friggin delicious… and I’m so glad to hear that you also think the book was a crock!
Sylvia says
Those cookies looks awesome.Like always…I really appreciate your amazing gift to made sweet baked good
Annemarie says
These are the sorts of treats I could eat a dozen of before even beginning to realize I needed to feel guilty. They look fantastic. Love your blog.
Lynn says
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! Way to go – it looks fabulous!
Anna says
The edition of the book I have doesn’t have a photo. Now I know what the recipe looks like. Thanks!
Maryann says
That book was cr*p haha
But..your ganache is gorgeous 🙂
Kirsten says
WOW!! SOooooo delicious. Never read the book, guessed it was crap, but not these this dessert! Delicious – like someone else wrote, makes me want to lick the screen!
marye says
wow. those. look. AWESOME.
Rose says
Delicious!
aria says
omg those look heavanly! really really out of this world!
Andrea says
Wow. I’m a Southern gal, and I have to say that these look better than ANY moon pie I’ve ever laid eyes on!
Lisa says
How did I miss these?
Now that’s a cookie I could get cozy with. I love the marshmallow and I can’t wait to see what you do with it in a cake.
Beautiful – as always =)
xoxo