Rocky Road Cookies

These cookies are so yummy I can't even explain how much I love them!  They are rich and chewy chocolate goodness!  Then you add the marshmallows, roasted nuts, and chocolate icing!  Wow!  I love the chocolate cookie so much that I can't wait to try different versions of it too!  I adapted this recipe from glorioustreats.com.  Plan a little ahead when you make these, because they do need to refrigerate for an hour, and cool for 30 minutes.

Note:  These cookies are great with just marshmallows and chocolate icing if there are nut allergies in your family.

1/2 cup butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups featherlight flour
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups mini marshmallows

Chocolate Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the cookies, begin by melting the butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, using 50% power.  Once melted, set aside to cool slightly.  

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients:  flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking powder and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until combined.  Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend until combined.  While mixing, add the flour mixture slowly and blend until just combined.  Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.  If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.

While dough is in the refrigerator, toast the walnuts.  Place chopped walnuts in a skillet and heat on medium heat until warm and fragrant.

To bake cookies, preheat oven to 325º.  On a greased cookie sheet place tablespoon size balls of dough about 2 inches apart.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

When cookies are done, remove from oven and press 3 or 4 marshmallows into each cookie.  Put the cookies back in the oven and bake another minute or two until marshmallows puff up.  Cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Prepare chocolate icing by combining all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

Assemble the cookies by placing the cooling rack with the cookies over a baking sheet.  Drizzle a bit of icing over the marshmallows, then place a few chopped walnuts on top.  Do it quickly before the icing sets up, so the nuts stick to the icing/cookie.  Once each cookie has marshmallows, icing and nuts, drizzle a second layer of icing over the nuts.  Allow icing to set up about 30 minutes before serving.

Sweet Pulled Pork

Who doesn't love Cafe Rio, right?  Well this is a great gluten free sweet pulled pork recipe that those of us with Celiac Disease can safely eat!  Yea!  I love doing the homemade Cafe Rio buffet for my family!  Here's the link where you can find the rest of the recipes.  I have learned that if you're going to shred pork you need to use a pork butt roast because it shreds easily.   

6 - 7 lb pork butt roast
3 cans caffeine free Coke (NOT diet)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup water
1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, separated
1 10 oz can Old El Paso red enchilada sauce (mild or medium)
1 can diced green chili's


Put the roast in a large bowl.  Pour in 2 cans Coke.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar on top.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours.

Drain marinade and place pork in a crock pot.  Pour in a 1/2 can of Coke and 1/4 cup water.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.  Cook on high for 8 hours.  Remove pork from crock pot, drain liquid and shred the pork.  Put the shredded pork back into the crock pot.

In a blender, combine the following ingredients:  the other 1/2 can of Coke, green chili's, enchilada sauce and 1 cup brown sugar.  Blend well and pour over the shredded pork.  Stir together and cook on low for about 1 hour, or until it's heated through and the flavor of the sauce is infused into the pork.