Cancer Dessert: Moon Pies
This is the sixth creation in my zodiac dessert series where I design a delicious dessert for each sign.
This is for Cancer.
Old-fashioned moon pies with moon crust shell. A twist on this southern classic treat of two soft graham flour cookies sandwiched with a generous layer of marshmallow fluff and a hard chocolate coating.
If you’re lucky enough for a cancer to invite you to their home and into their crab shell, you’re sure to be warmly welcomed with something down right comforting and tasty. Cancers tend not to branch out too far from (well… anything) the desserts that were present in their childhoods. They like what they know and they’re just fine with that. The cancers I surveyed recalled family bakes as their favourite desserts: pies, brownies, lemon bars, sticky toffee pudding, and cookies.
Moon pies were invented in Kentucky when a coal miner asked a traveling salesperson for a snack “as big as the moon.” A moon pie is a substantial dessert and provides all the textures and flavours to get you through any emotional rollercoaster. Cancers are ruled by the moon, and are known for being emotional, sensitive and moody. My visual image of a Cancer is someone cancelling their evening plans to spend some time alone with furrowed brows with a pint of ice cream.
The hard chocolate shell is made to look like the surface of the moon with brushed textured chocolate and silver luster dust. This shell protects the inner goo-ey homemade marshmallow fluff core, just like our Cancer friends. The moon pie is passive but very easy to get along with. They aren’t particularly bold from the exterior, but once you’ve had a bite, this will be a treat you’ll want to keep around for a long time. For all your self-soothing, security seeking needs, grab a moon pie and have a good sulk
Moon Pies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and honey then mix. Fold in graham cracker crumbs. Sift in flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Fold to combine. Let rest in fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide cookies into 14-15 balls and roll in your hands then flatten them slightly in your palms. Spread out evenly on baking sheets. Bake for 14 minutes and allow to cool.
- Wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment of your stand mixer with a paper towel dipped in some vinegar. You want no oil residue on your tools or else the meringue will struggle.
- In a pot, combine your water, sugar and salt and put on medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, add your egg whites and cream of tartar to your bowl.
- When your sugar mixture reached 220, begin to whip your egg whites on medium speed. Stop when the whites reach soft peaks
- When your sugar mixture reached 240 or just before, remove from heat. You want to slowly stream the syrup into your whites while they are whipped on medium speed. Aim for the area between the bowl and the whisk attachment. Once all the sugar is added to the bowl, turn up your speed to medium high and whip for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is cool, thick and glossy. Add vanilla and whip until incorporated.
- Add to a piping bag and pipe a generous amount between two fully cooled cookies.
- Melt chocolate and oil in a bowl over a double boiler. Dip cookie sandwiches in covering all sides. I like to use a fork underneath the cookie and a large spoon to spoon chocolate overtop. Put on parchment paper and put in fridge to set. Dust with lustre dust if desired.