This stuff is heaven. I really truly mean it. Moist, very chocolaty cookies, filled with various chips, nuts and marshmallows all creating a mouthwatering texture and taste that seriously rivals most cookies I’ve eaten. The free form shape adds to my delight (for reasons I can’t explain). I made these for the last school fair and they were a serious hit. I always double the recipe (the recipe below is doubled) and freeze a bunch for my son Greg who is normally not a crazy chocolate lover. He takes these from the freezer and pops them in the microwave and eats them warm and gooey. He groans with pleasure and raves and raves and thanks me for making them. Gotta love that at 13. I like them with vanilla ice cream (what else is new). This recipe is adapted from The Baker’s Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dede Wilson. She calls them Heavenly Hash Break-up Bars, but Greg (my son) quickly named them Cookie Bark but no matter what you call them they are good. Seriously good. So bake them soon and enjoy!! *Reader – order the black cocoa now – so you will be ready to bake. And if you live locally, come to my pantry!
rocky road cookie bark (or heavenly hash break-up bars – adapted from The Baker’s Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dede Wilson):
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons black cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter (unsalted)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet choc chips, 3/4 cup white choc chips, 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup toasted pecan halves
1 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Toast nuts in 350 degree oven or toaster oven for 5-9 minutes. Be careful not to burn! Set aside to cool. Pull butter out to soften and egg out to room temperature.
Whisk together the flour, black cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, place all the various chips and nuts.
In the mixer, beat butter for a few minutes, add the sugar and continue to beat for a few minutes until lighter and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and continue to mix for another minute or two. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, one at a time until each is incorporated – then the vanilla. Scrape the bowl again and mix a little bit more.
On the lowest speed, add the flour in 2 batches – mixing until almost incorporated. Pull bowl from mixer and add all of the chips and the nuts and continue to mix (by hand – and I actually physically use my hand here) until all is just incorporated.
Divide the dough and place half on each cookie sheet. Flatten the dough with your hands by pushing down with wet(ish) hands and get it basically as thin as the chocolate chips. (You will use the marshmallows in the next step if your worried I forgot).
Bake for about 17-20 minutes – continually checking to see if they look done (the glossy sheen should be gone and they should feel dry on the top). Place the sheet pans on the counter and place the marshmallows on top of the cooked batter – placing them evenly around – and squish each one in to the bark. Be careful as the sheet pan is hot!
Bake for another 4-5 minutes until the marshmallows kind of melt or brown a tiny bit (although not necessary).
Let cool and cut with a knife free form, or break-up with your hands. I found that I u
nderbaked this last batch and they were really really good, although a little bit harder to handle. Getting them off of the parchment was a little tricky, so I picked the whole piece of parchment (with cookie attached) and flipped it over a piece of tin foil and just peeled back the parchment. That did the trick. You can cut before or after. These are great gifts as well. I was baking for Gilda’s Club and decided to package them up in a little bag – nice for the holidays or just a little treat for a friend or family.
