Friday Night Craziness

Proof that, for a short while, we were on task.

Things have been absolutely crazy lately - it seems as if I can't catch a break. One of the things I love most about my sister is that she knows me probably better than anyone else in this world - and can read my stress. She knows when I'm stressed out, it's time to bake. That's exactly what we did last night. When deciding what to make, I knew what my choice was right away. I had seen this moonpie recipe on Annie's Eats earlier in the morning and couldn't get them out of my head. Ria's reaction to my choice, "ooh, yummy." I think the night is best summed up in pictures. 

I love this cookie.

My name is Lisa, and I scrunch my nose in pictures. 

Enter a bad mix of Pandora, sugar, and flat out exhaustion. The pepper mill made an appearance, as did the cabbage patch, and a very horrible rendition of the wave. Yes, I am wearing dress pants and shoes with a Pitt t-shirt. 

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. coarse salt
2¼ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 oz. marshmallow fluff
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk (optional)For the drizzle: 
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend, and set aside. 


In a large bowl, combine the oats, cherries, pecans, and chocolate. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend the egg and vanilla. 


With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour mixture, beating  just until incorporated. Fold in the oat mixture with a spatula until incorporated. 
Place dough balls on the baking sheets, spacing each 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 16-18 minutes total, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. 


To make the filling, place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Blend in the confectioner's sugar until incorporated. Beat in the marshmallow fluff and vanilla until ight and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Blend in milk gradually until a smooth consistency is reached, if necessary. 


Match the cookies up in pairs by size. Place a dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich the cookies together, pushing the filling to the edge. 


To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circular motions until a smooth ganache has formed. Whisk in the butter until completely incorporated. Let the mixture stand at room temperature until slightly thickened. Drizzle over the assembled cookies. 


Source: Annie's Eats