Gingerbread S’mores

The countdown to Christmas has begun! Time to get the cookies decorated, the Christmas menu finalized, and all the presents packaged and sent out. Although this year is different and most of us are not normally celebrating like we usually do, I still believe that food and family are at the center of the holiday. I love planning a holiday dinner, and I love eating it even more. If you want to switch up your cookie tray this year, I am here for you! This gingerbread cookie s’mores is two spiced gingerbread cookies with homemade marshmallow and Hershey’s chocolate ganache all sandwiched together!

My second book releases next week! I can’t stress how excited I am for this release, I’m very proud of this book. The recipes and flavor combinations are some of my favorite ones ever, and I hope you all will love it! To pre-order click here!

Gingerbread S’mores

Yield 8 sandwiched cookies

Gingerbread men

Flour 1 cup

Baking Soda 1 tsp

Salt ¼ tsp

Cinnamon ½ tsp

Allspice ¼ tsp

Cloves 1/8 tsp

Ginger 1 tsp

Black pepper 1/8 tsp

Butter, soft 6 Tbsp

Sugar 3 Tbsp

Brown Sugar 3 Tbsp

Molasses 3 Tbsp

Yolk 1

Chocolate Ganache

2 Hershey’s Bars (3 oz.), Chopped

Cream ¼ cup

Marshmallow

Powdered Gelatin 2 Tbsp

Cold Water ½ cup

Sugar 2 cups

Corn Syrup ¼ cup

Honey ¼ cup

Water ¼ cup

Salt ¼ tsp

Vanilla 1 tsp

Directions:

Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Line with plastic wrap and press into corners. Spray the plastic wrap with more non-stick baking spray. To prepare the marshmallow, sprinkle powdered gelatin over ½ cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Place bowl in stand mixer and fit with a whisk attachment. Place sugar, corn syrup, honey, and ¼ cup water in a sauce pot. Heat sugar syrup on medium high heat and boil it until you reach 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Once temperature is reached, slowly stream sugar syrup into stand mixer with the machine on low speed. Once all sugar syrup is in, turn mixer on medium high, then high speed. Let the mixer whip up the marshmallow until its thick and glossy like a stiff meringue. Add in salt and vanilla at this point and mix until combined. Pour marshmallow into prepared baking dish. Spray an offset spatula with non-stick baking spray and do your best to smooth the marshmallow evenly out to the sides. Let the marshmallow set up 8+ hours or overnight before cutting into it.

Make the gingerbread dough by combining butter, brown sugar and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until creamed, then add in the egg yolk. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Scrape down sides as needed in the stand mixer, then add in molasses, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Mix until dough comes together, then remove from the mixer and wrap in plastic. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough out to 1/8” thickness on a floured surface. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out 16 shapes. Gather the dough and re roll as necessary. Place cut outs on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze dough on sheet tray for 5 minutes, then bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies completely on sheet tray or wire rack.

Chop up Hershey’s bar and place in a microwave safe bowl. Pour cream into bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until fully melted.

Place some hot water into a small bowl. Invert marshmallow onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Dip the gingerbread cookie cutter into the hot water, then punch out gingerbread man in the marshmallow. This size will yield 8 gingerbread marshmallow men. Set them aside. You can cut up the remaining marshmallows and use them in your coffee, tea or hot cocoa!

To assemble, dip a gingerbread man into the chocolate ganache then place a marshmallow onto the chocolate to stick. Dip another gingerbread man into the chocolate and stick to the other side of the marshmallow. Lay it back onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Continue this process with the remaining cookies. Once all assembled, chill cookies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the chocolate can set up.

Serve with some hot cocoa and enjoy!