Sweet Saturday!

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! I hope you're having a marvelous weekend! :o)

I won't be able to finish my in-progress card for Emily until tonight, but at least I have a tasty recipe to share! :o) If you love the flavor of S'mores, be sure to read on!

Like many, I love different confections that mimic the flavors of the beloved campfire treat. Melty chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and delicious graham crackers are all packed into this one incredible cookie. I am in love with these Gooey S'mores Cookies!

These have already been requested in a double batch, and for good reason! The inclusion of graham cracker crumbs into the dough was brilliant. And do you see those sweet little marshmallows? Those are the new Kraft Jet Puffed Mallow Bits! They are amazing in this cookie! I found them at Target and Meijer, but apparently they're hard to find by many. :( The dough is out-of-this-world fantastic and I confess that my sweetie and I had more than a few tastes of it from the mixer bowl.

It's also worth noting that this is my first time making a cookie recipe that calls for baking powder as the leavening agent, as opposed to baking soda. I was a bit worried once I noticed the change, but quickly discovered why the recipe's creator went this route.  Though difficult to tell from the angle of my photograph (oops), it makes the cookies extra fluffy. :o)

If you're a cookie lover and/or a S'mores lover, you simply must make these! I promise you will love them. :o) I'll be back tomorrow with another cute little card for the sweet Emily! Have a sparkly day, my friends!

Note: If you make your own graham cracker crumbs instead of buying a box, you can either use your food processor/blender to crush them to smithereens or use a Ziploc baggie! Stuff them inside the bag, seal it, and roll over it with a rolling pin until it's a bag of tasty crumbs.
Note 2: I made the cookies slightly larger than the recipe indicates, which gave me 18.

Gooey S'mores Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1⅓ cups flour
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (7 full graham cracker sheets if you crush your own)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup Mini Hershey's Kisses (or regular-size chocolate chips/chunks)
1 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Pits

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until combined.

Stir in the chocolate and mallow bits, just until combined. Place 1.5 tablespoon-sized scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Do not over-bake. Cool on the baking sheets until able to lift without the cookie falling apart, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Source: Slightly adapted from Kevin and Amanda