Mallowmelt

Mallowmelt
Taste	Combination of chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, frosting, and butterscotch
First seen in	Keeper of the Lost Cities

Mallowmelt is a gooey treat that tastes like "fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies soaked in ice cream and covered in frosting and butterscotch."

Throughout the books, this delicious treat was served many times for most social gatherings, from serious meetings to simple conversations. It is said that mallowmelt can make any conversation better, both good ones and hard ones.

When Sophie talked with Amy (during Nightfall) her sister stole Sophie's share of the gooey treat, surprised and amazed by how delicious it is. At first, Amy worries that the dessert may be like fairy food but is assured by Sophie that she can eat regular food after. Sophie had similar reactions during her first encounter with mallowmelt. She claimed that it was, hands down, the best thing she had ever eaten.

In Flashback, it is noted that even Sophie's bodyguard Bo enjoyed it, and this is surprising because Bo is very tough and tries hard to not show emotions, sentiment, or his smile. In Flashback it was said that "even Bo cracked a smile when he had his first bite of mallowmelt. And then he helped himself to the rest of the tray."

Recipes

The Mallowmelt, Mallowmelt Cupcake and the Mallowmelt Hot Chocolate recipes have been adapted from Shannon Messenger's website, the recipe for Mallowmelt Cookies was adapted from Unlocked.

Mallowmelt

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups butterscotch chips (divided)
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows (divided)
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (divided)
• 1 14 oz can of sweetened & condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a 9×13-inch metal baking pan.
3. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup of the butterscotch chips with the butter in the microwave. It’s easiest to work in 20-second intervals, stirring in between. Set aside to cool. (Note: Do not over melt! It’s okay if a few lumps remain.)
4. In a large bowl, stir the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
5. In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
6. When the butterscotch mixture has cooled, pour into the large bowl and stir to combine with the brown sugar/egg/vanilla mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until just mixed.
7. Stir in 2 cups of the marshmallows, 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the butterscotch chips.
8. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Top with the remaining marshmallows, chocolate, and butterscotch chips, scattering evenly. Drizzle entire can of sweetened & condensed milk evenly over the top.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Top will be browned but still quite gooey. Cool, completely (at least 2–3 hours) and serve!

Mallowmelt Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

For Cookies:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 12 marshmallows, cut in half

For Chocolate Drizzle:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup half-and-half

For Butterscotch Drizzle:

• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half

Directions

For Cookies:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl (Note: This can also be done in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer- your preference!)
3. Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Then, add the remaining flour mixture and stir until the batter is smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Gently stir in chocolate and butterscotch chips until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or as long as overnight).
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take cookie dough out of the fridge and let stand for 10 minutes. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Arrange cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on each tray and bake for 12 minutes.
6. While cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half, and after the 12 minutes have passed, quickly remove cookie trays from oven and place half a marshmallow, cut side down, on top of each cookie. Return cookies to oven and bake cookies for 2 more minutes. Remove cookies from oven and allow to them to cool on the trays for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Note: the cookies are delicious just like this- but if you want to capture the true gooeyness of mallowmelt, you'll want to add the chocolate and butterscotch drizzles.

For Chocolate Drizzle:

1. Combine chocolate chips and half-and-half in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Cover and microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from microwave and stir.
4. Repeat process, microwaving in 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted and stirs smooth (Caution: the bowl may get warm.)
5. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over each cooled cookie. (If you want it to look fancier, you can use a piping bag. Or if you want to keep it simple, you can also spread it like frosting on top. Whichever method you choose, just make sure the cookies have cooled completely before adding drizzle.)

Additional Note: I use salted butter for the cookies because I think it helps balance the sweetness of the butterscotch- but if you prefer to bake with unsalted butter, it works just as well.

For Butterscotch Drizzle:

1. Combine butterscotch chips and half-and-half in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Cover and microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from microwave and stir.
4. Repeat process, microwaving in 30-second intervals until butterscotch is melted and stirs smooth (Caution: the bowl may get warm.)
5. Using a spoon, drizzle butterscotch over each cooled cookie. (If you want it to look fancier, you can use a piping bag. Or if you want to keep it simple, you can also spread it like frosting on top. Whichever method you choose, just make sure the cookies have cooled completely before adding drizzle.)

Mallowmelt Cupcakes

Ingredients for Cupcakes

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 tbsp. flour

Ingredients for Frosting

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 7-oz jar of marshmallow crème
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 tbsp. milk

For Cupcakes

1. Start with one box of your favorite yellow cake mix (note: works best if there’s pudding in the mix)
2. Follow the directions on the box
3. Add vanilla to prepared mix
4. Line 12-24 cupcake pans (depending on box mix) with paper or foil liners
5. Pour mixture evenly into prepared pans
6. In a separate bowl, combine semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1tbsp of flour
7. In another bowl, combine butterscotch chips with 1tbsp of flour
8. Sprinkle some of each type of chips into each cupcake and very lightly press into batter
9. Bake as directed. Allow to cool before frosting

For the Marshmallow Frosting

1. Combine butter, marshmallow crème, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl
2. Add 1 tbsp of milk and beat with an electric mixer
3. Check consistency and repeat with additional tbsp. of milk (up to 4 tbsp) until desired smoothness is reached
4. Frost cupcakes once they have cooled completely
5. Decorate as desired

Mallowmelt Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 heaping tbsp. cookie butter
• 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Whipped cream for garnish
• Additional chocolate chips for garnish (optional)
• Butterscotch syrup for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Combine milk, half and half, cookie butter, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips in a medium sauce pan
2. Simmer over low heat, whisking regularly, until cips melt and bubbles form around the edge of the pan (do not boil)
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and desired garnishes

Trivia

• Shannon Messenger mentioned in the annotated edition that she envisioned Mallowmelt as an ice cream sandwich without the cold or sogginess.

Quotes

“Mallowmelt turned out to be a gooey cake that tasted like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies soaked in ice cream and covered in frosting and butterscotch. It melted on her tongue and was, hands down, the best thing Sophie had ever tasted.”

—Narration, in Book 1: Keeper of the Lost Cities, page(s) 134, Google Books

“Mallowmelt always makes a difficult conversation easier.”

—Alden Vacker to Sophie Foster, in Book 6: Nightfall, page(s) 51, hardcover