Recipe! Black cocoa cookie mallow puffs!

After two years of evading it, covid has finally caught up to me. While I’m taking some time to rest, I can’t get through 7 days without baking anything. I recently had tried out a recipe for black cocoa cookies that I absolutely loved the flavour of, and I thought they’d work perfectly with some marshmallow and caramel. 

Black cocoa is cocoa that has been alkalised even more than dutch cocoa. It’s basically what makes Oreo’s taste like Oreo’s. I love the flavour of it in cookies, it’s nostalgic and sophisticated at once, and also looks mega cool! You can buy black cocoa from Chefs Compliments (my favourite store ever)

These mallow puffs are super decadent, and a lot of fun to make and eat. They’re made with a Swiss meringue filling rather than a set marshmallow, giving you a super gooey centre, but if you can’t be bothered with all that, the cookies are delicious enough on their own!

BLACK COCOA MALLOW PUFFS

BLACK COCOA COOKIES -ADAPTED FROM THE BOY WHO BAKES

170G MILK CHOCOLATE

110G SALTED BUTTER (SOFTENED)

75G CASTER SUGAR

75G BROWN SUGAR

1 EGG

30G BLACK COCOA POWDER

110G FLOUR

1/2 TSP BAKING SODA

125G MILK CHOCOLATE CHUNKS OR CHIPS

SEA SALT FLAKES FOR FINISHING 

Melt the milk chocolate either over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Either by hand or using a stand mixer, mix the butter and both sugars together and beat until light and fluffy. Add in your egg and beat until fully incorporated, then mix in your melted chocolate. Stir in the cocoa, flour and baking soda, then just before its combined stir in the chocolate chips. 

Chill your dough for at least an hour or overnight before rolling into 30g balls. 

Preheat your oven to 180c. Bake your dough balls for 12 minutes, leaving plenty of space between each ball, as they will spread. 

Once baked, sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt and use a cookie cutter to scoot your cookies round, until they’re about 6.5cm diameter (They will have spread to about 9cm diameter) Leave to cool. 

CARAMEL SAUCE

50G SUGAR

50G CREAM

1/4TSP VANILLA PASTE

10G BUTTER

Make a dry caramel by cooking the sugar in a small pot over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the caramel is smooth and a light amber colour. Remove from the heat and immediately add in your cream, vanilla and butter. Allow the caramel to bubble and splutter for a little bit until it calms down, to avoid burning yourself on the steam. Give the caramel a good stir to mix in the cream and butter. Return to the heat and boil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until your caramel has thickened a touch. Pour into a container and chill until ready to use. 

SWISS MERINGUE 

3 EGG WHITES (90-100G)

180G SUGAR

1/2 TSP VANILLA PASTE

Combine all ingredients together in a stand mixer or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly, until the mixture has loosened and is hot to the touch (the best way to tell is to stick your finger in it, if it feels hot, its ready!) This pasteurises the egg whites and makes them safe to eat. Alternatively you can skip the cooking step and use pre pasteurised egg whites. 

Whisk your warmed egg whites on a medium-high speed until you have a stiff peaked meringue. 

While your meringue is whipping pipe a dot of caramel in the centre of each cookie, about 1/2tsp worth. 

Scoop your stiff meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (at least a 10mm tip, but ideally over 20mm). Immediately pipe your Swiss meringue on top of your cookies. To do this hold your piping bag directly over the caramel, about 2 cm above it. Squeeze consistently, without moving your bag, until the meringue comes just to the edge of your cookie. Stop squeezing and flick the bag away to get the perfect finish. 

Chill your meringue- ideally in the freezer, but I didn’t have any room so put mine in the fridge, for about half an hour to an hour. 

CHOCOLATE DIP 

300G MILK CHOCOLATE

CANOLA OR COCONUT OIL

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely smooth. Add canola or coconut oil 1 tsp at a a time until you have a thinner chocolate with a nice dipping consistency. The amount needed will vary greatly depending on what brand of chocolate you use. 

TO FINISH

GOLD LEAF

TONKA BEANS

CINNAMON STICK 

Dip each mallow puff into the chocolate mixture, covering the meringue completely as well as the edges of the cookie. Shake off any excess chocolate then lay your mallow puff on a piece of baking paper. Repeat for all your remaining mallow puffs. 

Use a microplane to shave some Tonka bean and cinnamon on top of the chocolate, then finish with a sprinkling of gold leaf. Chill in the fridge to set the chocolate, then store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!!