White Chocolate, Strawberry Marshmallow, Brown Rice Crisps Cookies

This is a recipe I adapted from Milk - Momofuku Milk Bar...

I saw these cute Hello Kitty marshmallows at a local Japanese store, which reminded me of the Momofuku recipe, I had to use them! I used to have Hello Kitty *everything* when I was a kid...pencils, erasers, book bags. Even now, I still love HK with their handbags and wallets. I'm a kid at heart, I guess =).

I wanted to try something a little different than Momofuku's Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookie recipe. Cornflakes? Nah, I love rice crispies! Plain marshmallows? Heck no! I love the strawberry filled/scented ones. Regular chocolate chips? Hmm, that may have tasted really good as well but I opted for small white chocolate chunks.

I was really going for something more...Spring-y =).

As I started mixing all the ingredients together, this wonderfully light smell of strawberries and cream floated through my kitchen. Yesss, I did the happy dance as I snuck a taste of the finished batter.

And after tasting it, I started bouncing around the kitchen =). My dog twitched her head from side to side while watching me...she probably thought I was crazy.

I was so excited to get these luscious balls of goodness into the oven! I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Hints of gooey strawberry marshmallow and white chocolate, yummy crispy crunch...I was in love. Although, I have to be honest, I have many "loves" when it comes to desserts. I can't be faithful and commit to just one ;).

Here's what you need and what you need to do:

INGREDIENTS

~2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
~1 c granulated sugar
~2/3 c brown sugar, packed tightly
~1 large egg
~1/2 tsp vanilla extract
~1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
~1/2 tsp baking powder
~1/4 tsp baking soda
~1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
~3 c brown rice crispies (I used 365 Whole Foods brand, regular rice crispies are ok too)
~2/3 c small white chocolate chunks
~1 1/4 c HK marshmallows, cut into 1/4's (you can use regular mini marshmallows but you won't get the light strawberry taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the two sugars and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg and vanilla. Beat for 5 minutes.

2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on lowest setting until just combined. Take care to not over mix. Scrape the bowl once again.

3. Add the rice crispies and chocolate. Mix on low, again, until just combined. Last, add the marshmallows and mix until just incorporated.

4. Portion out the dough, into 2 or 3 disks, onto plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to a week. Do *not* bake cookies from room temperature, they will not hold.

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

6. Using a 1 1/2" diameter ice cream scoop, scoop chilled dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan (using a Silpat is ok too). Make sure your cookies are at least 3-4" apart because these cookies spread!

7. Bake 5 minutes then rotate the pan because you want the cookies to bake evenly. Then bake an additional 5 minutes. Your cookies should be slightly brown and crisp on the edges when ready! Yummm!

8. Cool on a wire rack before transferring to a plate or air-tight container for storage.

Voila!

I hope you enjoy it! Maybe next time I'll switch it up and go tropical by using mango marshmallows and add some shredded coconut?! What other ingredients would you add/change to this delightful smorgasbord?