Watermelon Mallow Cookies

I can't believe that it's September! I totally meant to post these cookies weeks and weeks ago. Why? Watermelon screams summer. Watermelon does not say "pumpkin spice latte," "cozy sweaters" or "chilly evenings." Sorry, I have a good reason! I'll be sharing more on that later. For now...

Check out these cute cookies!  So adorable!

I had this image in my mind at the beginning of the summer. I was dreaming of a watermelon mallomar with cute black seeds and bright green cookie. After two weeks of searching for candy coated seeds, I gave up and stopped by my favorite NYC baking shop and picked up these black sugar pearls. And hot pink sanding sugar. So Pink!

These cookies are just a new take on my traditional mallomar cookie. Now, I know they aren't a true mallomar, since they aren't coated in chocolate (FYI, I can't wait until the classic mallomars hit the grocery shelves soon!!!). I decided last year that I didn't like to coat my flavored cookies in chocolate. Why? They just taste like chocolate! The flavor of the marshmallow is so subtle, the chocolate flavor just overpowers the marshmallowy flavor.

So, if you aren't sick of summer yet (if you are... seriously? Summer is awesome), give these cookies a try! You will most likely need to pick up some things at the store or online (i.e. - Watermelon candy oil, pink sanding sugar, bright green food coloring & black sugar pearls). Have fun making these, they're super fun!

Once Year Ago: Sour Apple Fruit Chews
Two Years Ago: Homemade Coconut milk & Thai Chili Sauce
Three Years Ago: Italian Sweet & Sour Chicken
Four Years Ago: Chilled Asparagus Salad

Watermelon Mallomars

A Wilde Original

Warning, these cookies will make your entire house smell like watermelon. But not real watermelon. Candy watermelon! If you don't like the flavor of a watermelon Jolly Rancher, these cookies might not be for you. I was toying with the idea of making the marshmallow out of watermelon juice, but didn't think the flavor would be powerful enough to shine through the sugar. Maybe that's a plan for next summer!

Almond Cookies

I used the French almond sugar cookie recipe that I always use for mallomars. Follow the recipe in this link and just add some green food coloring at the end of the dough mixing. Roll it out just like in that recipe and you're good to go! Let the cookies cool before adding the marshmallow and decorating.

Watermelon marshmallow

Adapted from Marshmallows

For the gelatin bloom
1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cold water
1 dram watermelon candy oil (Use the concentrated stuff)
3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (I use Knox powdered gelatin)

For the sugar syrup
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups corn syrup
pinch kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

For the mallomars
1 cup small hot pink sanding sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together water and birthday cake flavoring.  Add gelatin and whisk until smooth.  Let sit while you prepare the sugar syrup.

In a 4-quart pot, combine all four ingredients for the sugar syrup.  Bring to a boil and cover with a lid.  Let boil for 2 minutes (this will wash down any sugar crystals from the walls of the pot).  Uncover the pot and clip on your candy thermometer.  Heat to 250 F.  Remove from heat and add bloomed gelatin.  Whisk until the gelatin is incorporated.

Pour mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer and turn it up!  Beat the sugar mixture on high for 10 minutes, until bright white and fluffy.  Transfer marshmallow batter to a piping bag with a 1-cm tip.

Pipe blobs of marshmallow onto the cooled cookie rounds.  Let marshmallow set for 30 minutes. Add three or four black sugar pearls and dunk in sanding sugar.  Be sure all the marshmallow is coated in sugar, this will keep them from sticking to each other.  Revel in your work, they are so adorable!!!