Fall

Homemade Moon Pies!

October  9, 2014
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Makes 16 Moon Pies
Author Notes

Moon Pies (or MoonPies), often associated with the southern part of the U.S., are usually two round graham crackers with a marshmallow crème filling, and dipped in chocolate (or other flavored coatings). While it is probably hard to get the exact flavor and texture of commercial moon pies, this homemade version is more far more wholesome and uses no high fructose corn syrup. The graham cracker recipe below is gluten-free and dairy-free; however, please feel free to substitute your favorite graham cracker recipe or this one: (https://food52.com/recipes...). The marshmallow crème has a unique flavor, as I used maple syrup in lieu of corn syrup (again, feel free to use corn syrup if that's what you have on hand), which gives it a richer sweetness. And the chocolate that encases the sandwich is bittersweet to keep the treat from being overly sweet. —Lindsey S. Love | Dolly and Oatmeal

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the graham cracker cookies and the marshmallow crème:
  • FOR THE COOKIES:
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • FOR THE MARSHMALLOW CREME:
  • 2 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • To make the chocolate shell and assemble the cookies:
  • 6 ounces 60 to 70% bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Directions
  1. For the graham cracker cookies and the marshmallow crème:
  2. Start by making the cookies: To a food processor, add the flours, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; pulse to mix. Add the solid coconut oil and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Whisk the syrup and almond milk together; with the motor running, pour through the spout of the food processor to distribute evenly. Once the dough has come together to form a ball, gather it and knead it until smooth. Evenly halve dough, flatten into a disk, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap; let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from refrigerator; let it rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Stamp out cookies with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter and place on prepared baking sheet. Re-roll dough until it has all been used. (if you want, use a fork to make decorative indentations). Bake in the center of your oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies from oven and let cool completely. (If making ahead, the finished cookies can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
  4. Make the marshmallow crème: In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. (If you own a stand mixer, use it here; it makes it all a lot easier later on when you drizzle in the sugary syrup.) Set aside.
  5. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, maple syrup, water, and pinch of salt; whisk until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then cook the syrup on medium-high heat until your candy thermometer reaches 240° F. (Each time I make this, my thermometer plateaus around the 200° mark, no need to worry if this happens to you -- it'll reach 240° eventually, just be patient.)
  6. Remove the sugar syrup from heat. With your mixer on medium, slowly drizzle the syrup down the side of your mixing bowl so that you're beating the egg whites and sugar syrup together. When all the syrup has been mixed in, increase the speed of your mixer to high (medium, if you're using a stand mixer) and beat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the crème is stiff and glossy. Transfer it to a container with a fitted lid and let it rest in the refrigerator until cool. (This step can also be done ahead of time if need be.)
  1. To make the chocolate shell and assemble the cookies:
  2. Assemble the moon pies. Arrange half the cookies face-down on a large tray. Then spoon marshmallow crème into a pastry bag (or a large plastic bag with the corner snipped) and distribute an even layer of crème on each one. Gently place another cookie on top of the crème, and allow the sandwiches to rest in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate shell.
  3. Place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring every so often with a rubber spatula until it's completely melted. Add the coconut oil and mix until combined. Set aside for a few moments to allow the chocolate to cool a bit.
  4. Prepare a work surface with parchment paper and remove the sandwiches from refrigerator. Using a large spoon, drop one half of the sandwich into the chocolate, turn it over so it's completely coated, and place it on the prepared parchment. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Allow chocolate to harden.
  5. To store, line a lidded container with parchment paper and layer paper between each layer of cookies. Store Moon Pies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Lindsey S. Love is a food blogger living in Brooklyn, NY with her husband. Her cooking and baking focus on healthful gluten free and dairy free, with occasional vegan recipes. You can follow her at dollyandoatmeal.com for additional recipes.

1 Review

cagii49 November 11, 2014
pretty ambitious! I bet worth it!