Perfect Every Time Rocky Road Cookies

I have been dreaming about the perfect Rocky Road Cookie for a long time—a cookie that's rich and dark, with chocolate morsels, delicate toasted nuts, and fluffy creamy marshmallows.

Did you know that there is a reason that rocky road cookies are almost impossible to find? The reason is: marshmallows don't want to be baked. My first attempts at rookie road cookies were ugly. The cookies were dense and the marshmallows disappeared or formed pools of chewy goo. It took me a few weeks of trouble shooting, but I finally figured out the protocol for perfect rocky road cookies. These cookies have toasted marshmallows that keep their shape and texture. As a bonus I've now got a list of tricks for any time you want to bake with marshmallows:

1. Freeze your marshmallows

2. Bake quickly at high heat

3. Moosh the marshmallows into the individual cookies right before you bake them

4. After you take your cookies out of the oven, IMMEDIATELY remove cookies from hot pan to keep marshmallows from melting further

Use these tricks and your cookies will turn out perfectly every time. You'll get cookies that will surpass your wildest rocky road dreams.

Note about using dough at a later date: If you want to prep this dough ahead of time, it freezes and refrigerates well. However, when you want to use your dough you'll need to let it come to near room-temperature (so it's pliable) before you add the marshmallow.

Note about Cookie Size: I love tiny cookies, but I do not recommend making tiny cookies with this recipe. you need enough cookie dough so that the marshmallows don't escape. Mine were about 3 tablespoons each.

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Rocky Road Cookies

Time 20 minutes to prepare, plus cooking time and time for butter to warm. Makes about 32 medium sized cookies. Special Equipment: hand mixer or stand mixer.

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon diamond kosher (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

2 and 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cups sliced or slivered toasted almonds

about 1-1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, frozen

STEP ONE

Preheat oven to 425, line sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside. Add softened butter and both sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Cream on medium speed with hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over top and mix to combine. Then add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and mix on medium-low until combined. Next add coco powder and all purpose flour and fold to combine (don't over mix). Last, add your chocolate chips and almonds and fold in, batter will be very thick and seem a little dry--but it's perfect, I promise (see photo).

STEP TWO

Portion out cookie batter spacing cookies 3-ish inches apart. (I usually do 8 cookies per sheet pan). Use the palm of your hand to flatten the cookie dough a little and stick 4-6 marshmallows on top (see photo). Take care that marshmallows are mostly surrounded by cookie dough or they will melt off the side of your cookies. Bake for 7-8 minutes. When you take them from the oven pull the parchment paper off the pan immediately and onto a counter top or rack to cool.

ENJOY! Cookies can be stored in a closed container for 3 days... we've never made it past 24 hours.