DEC 2018 proof The Castle Pines Connection

Volume 10, Number 12
Christmas col
with cozy cocoa cokies
Article and photos by Lisa Crockett
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and a big part of every celebration is food. My family has lots of favorites that we make year after year, but I’m always looking for new ideas, and when this little gem of a recipe caught my eye, I just new it would be a nice addition to our holiday repertoire.
I have a pretty rm rule against making food simply because it’s “cute”, but when I can nd something delicious and pretty at the same time, I’m in. In addition to being pretty, this recipe has the added bonus of also being pretty easy to make.
This treat, adorned with crushed candy canes,
looks festive and tastes simultaneously refreshing and rich. Tote these babies to a cookie exchange and watch them disappear. Or, pile them on white plates, cover them with plastic wrap and tie with
a big red bow for a stunning, simple holiday gift. Need to feed a crowd? No problem. Because these cookies don’t spread much as they bake, you can bake a whole batch on a single pan, which means even multiple batches will be in and out of the oven before you can say “ho, ho, ho.” Whip up a bunch, warm some milk on the stove for cocoa, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect holiday night at home.
The cookie base here may seem unusual in that it calls for powdered sugar rather than traditional granulated sugar, and a fairly large amount of cornstarch. Longtime readers of this column will recall that my favorite sugar cookie recipe also calls
for cornstarch to lend a pleasantly soft crumble. In this recipe, in addition to softness, it gives the cookie a melt-in-your- mouth quality that pairs beautifully with the marshmallow and candy topping.
The avors here are perfect for December, and this chocolate-mint-marshmallow combination might actually conjure Santa directly to your kitchen to take a bite.
But this recipe could be adapted for other times of the year too. Since the cookie itself doesn’t contain mint, the chocolate topping could be married with chopped nuts, sprinkles, or even a beautiful piece of fresh or dried fruit for a dazzling nish to a Valentine’s Day supper or a springtime brunch.
(Continued on page 27)
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