Chocolate Fluff Cookies

I’ve got a few different cookie recipes to share with you for the holiday season, and I figured I may as well start with my favorite so that you don’t have any excuse not to make them. These chocolate fluff cookies come from the same recipe booklet from America’s Test Kitchen as the much-loved chocolate turtle cookies from last year. I’ve been wanting desperately to make them ever since I got the booklet a year ago. How I’ve resisted that gooey, fluffy chocolate covered center this long is a mystery.

And you would never guess it, but these are actually ridiculously easy to make. The most complicated part of the entire process was clearing out enough space in my freezer to lay a cookie tray in there that would lay perfectly flat. Who has that kind of room in their freezer? Are we the only ones that keep our freezer stocked with everything from leftovers, frozen peas and corn, veggie burgers, the remains of a can of chipotle peppers, nuts, coffee, and backup frozen meals from Trader Joe’s for those days when we only have 15 minutes to prepare and eat a meal before heading out the door? Surely we’re not the only ones. We had to load our cooler up in order to make room, but there was never a doubt in my mind that it would be worth it.

But I digress. These cookies are SO easy to make that I’m actually a little embarrassed. The recipe uses store bought marshmallow fluff for the filling, and crackers for the base. They’re not just any crackers, mind you, but Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers. America’s Test Kitchen describes that as a healthier option that “are only lightly sweetened and have a crisp but sturdy texture,” perfect for providing the backbone of these fluff cookies. They’re easy enough to find at most grocery stores, but mind you, I had to reach around and grab a box from the shelf as two women seemed to be intent on taking every box in my store, exclaiming all the while that these were the best crackers ever.

With store-bought marshmallow fluff and store-bought crackers, that leaves us with the chocolate covering, and if you can turn on your stovetop, you can handle this. That’s right, you don’t even need to turn on your oven. Just a little melting of some chocolate and just a touch of vegetable oil, and you’re all set.

To be honest, I was a little selfish when I made these because I knew that I was going to love them, but I didn’t think that Joseph would. He’s not really a huge fan of marshmalllows and I figured if he didn’t absolutely love this chocolate cake with seven minute frosting, there was no way that he was going to be crazy about these cookies. But I miscalculated, my friends. Maybe I thought I could keep these cookies all to myself, but I was wrong. Turns out Jospeh loves the cookies and thinks that they’re like s’mores but better since they’re made with dark chocolate. I guess no matter how well I think I know him, he will always have some surprises in store. There go my cookies.