Healthier Moon Pie Recipe for the Great American Eclipse

To help celebrate today’s total eclipse, which is happening here in about an hour, my amazing intern Kelly helped me to whip up some ‘healthier’ moon pies. To be fair, there isn’t a really nutritious way to create a chocolate covered cookie, but these are pretty close. And hey, this type of thing doesn’t happen everyday 🙂 How are you celebrating today?

 

Slimmed Down Moon Pie Recipe

To make cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or powdered sucralose alternative)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup coconut flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Marshmallow filling:

• 3 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup stevia
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Dark Chocolate Topping:

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

 

Directions:

Note: Make cookies first and let cool completely.

 

For Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flours, salt, baking powder and vanilla, beat until cookie dough forms.
3. Form dough into a ball or disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.
4. Once dough is ready, transfer to a lightly floured surface, roll out to about 1/4 -inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut circular cookies from dough.
5. Reroll scraps of dough until all dough is used.
6. Place all cookie cut-outs on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies brown on the edges. Take out of oven and let cool completely.

 

For Marshmallow filling:

1. In a stand up mixer, beat egg whites together until light and frothy. Add 3 tablespoons splenda sugar, beat until soft peaks form.
2. In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, corn syrup and remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Start cooking and stir occasionally. Raise to high heat and continue cooking until it reaches 240 F on a cooking thermometer.
3. Pour mixture into mixer with egg-white mixture. Increase mixer to high speed and continue mixing for 8-10 minutes. Add vanilla and continue mixing until it becomes thick and creamy like marshmallows. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator.
4. Assemble cookies: with two cookies facing upwards, place a tablespoon of cold marshmallow filling (make a sandwich between two cookies). Repeat till all cookies are used. Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.

 

For Chocolate Topping:

 

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and oil. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Once fully melted get refrigerate cookie sandwiches and dip each one into melted chocolate. You can either dip half way and make half dipped cookies OR emerge cookies fully with a fork and cover with melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies on parchment paper and repeat till all cookies are dipped. Refrigerate for 10-15 more minutes and enjoy!

 

Nutrition Facts Per Cookie (one is filling!!): 310 calories, 43 g CHO, 14 g Fat, 1 g PRO, 11 mg sodium, 29 g sugar