Moon Pies – Beyond Graham Crackers

The February issue of Bon Appetit has this luscious picture on the cover of a crunchy fried chicken leg. It looks so positively crackly and crispy that I can hear the sound. The fried chicken article is awesome and recommends the use of a cast iron pan, which I heartily agree with, but, what I want to bring to your attention is a recipe for moon pies, specifically the Chocolate Oatmeal Moon Pies that have come our way via Chef Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon in New Orleans, LA. The classic moon pie is a sandwich of graham crackers and marshmallow cream, the whole dipped in chocolate. This rendition is somehow homey and yet over-the-top at the same time; it was a huge hit at a Super Bowl party. I made them once as is, with dried cherries and pecans, and another time with raisins and walnuts. Both fabulous. They are popular in the south and we had a North Carolinian at the party who said they were the best she had ever tasted which I took as a huge compliment. BTW moon pies are sometimes thrown by “krewes” at Mardi Gras. I have to tell you that this version might leave a bruise. They are pretty hefty – in a good way.

A couple of notes on the original recipe: I used table salt, not kosher, in same amounts and it was fine. Also, I used a #40 Zeroll scoop (my fave) to dole out the batter. Recipe says to pull them out of the oven while still soft in the center; be sure to heed that advice. They firm up tremendously upon cooling. Also, I went overboard with the marshmallow and initially used more than a tablespoon between the cookies. Foolish me. I should have known our test kitchen was spot on. Mine were really tasty – but then after they sat around for a while, the cookies started sliding off of one another. Stick with the 1 tablespoon. PS: I refrigerated these overnight in an airtight container and that worked perfectly for munching the next day.