Chocolate Coated Marshmallow Red Velvet Cookies

These scrumptious soft & gooey little cookies conclude my holiday baking (which in my opinion, went out with a bang!) These cookies are amazingly addictive, I promise you will want more then just one. I found this in Miss Katrina's Holiday event, I'll Bring the Cookies, by i am baker. 

They start with a melt-in-your-mouth red velvet sugar cookie, topped with a fluffy marshmallow and finally covered in vanilla-flavored candy coating and topped with sprinkles.

 I would say, this recipe is fairly easy, but make sure you either break up the process, or make sure to dedicate your day to these little charms. The only trouble I would say I came across, was finding the perfect size round cookie cutter. I first used slightly too large of a cutter, and then half-way I (thankfully) was able find one of my sons Play-doh cutters that was the perfect size, ever so slightly larger then the width of the marshmallow. Using the proper size cutter was key to having the candy coating easily spread over the cookies to allow excess fall through the wire racks. On to the recipe!

1-½ C unsalted butter 
2 C sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp gel food coloring
4 C all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
 regular sized marshmallows (1-2 bags depending on if you plan to make all these cookies with the dough, or use the remaining dough for another use.) 
Wilton Candy Discs in red, white, and green)
vegetable shortening (as needed)
sprinkles

 In a large bowl, beat butter & sugar until well combined, about 2 min.

Add eggs, mix until combined. Add the extracts and food coloring, mix thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.

About a cup at a time, add the flour to the butter mixture. Using your mixer (or your hands if easier), mix until just combined.

Cover dough in Saran wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. While dough chills, prepare your marshmallows, by cutting each in half. Set marshmallows aside.

Preheat oven to 350º, roll dough out onto floured surface, cut into 2" circles. Place onto cookie sheet, bake 5 min. Remove from oven, place a marshmallow half over top of each cookie. Bake an additional 2 min. Allow to rest on cookie sheet about 2 min, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat process until desired amount of cookies are baked.

Once cooled, melt a package of candy coating as directed on package (I like to use my glass Pyrex measuring cup) You want a thin consistency, so add a tsp or two of vegetable shortening to help achieve that. Separate cookies into three different piles (if planning to use all three colors). Put cookies on wire rack sitting on top of a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Pour the candy coating over the cookies, and with a spatula, spread the candy coating around to cover the cookies. The extra candy coating should drip through the rack onto the paper. Finally, top with desired sprinkles. Allow to harden either on the counter or in the fridge. Repeat this step for the other two colors if desired.