Choco Pie are essentially the Korean versions of Moon Pies. Admittedly, this recipe isn't as cakey (and the marshmallow isn't at stretchy) as a true Korean Choco Pie, but these are a homemade version!

It's hard to replicate mass-produced snacks (especially in a home kitchen with limited ingredients), so I settled for a whoopie pie dipped in chocolate. I tried aerating the egg white to make it a little more cakey while still being able to bake it like a cookie, but it was still a little firmer.

Pictured flavors: original, chocolate, matcha, and black sesame!

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Cookie​

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• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (scooped into cup and leveled)

• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 egg whites

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

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Marshmallow Filling

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• 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin or 1 silver-grade gelatin sheet

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup water for sugar syrup

• 1/2 Tablespoon honey or corn syrup

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
   

• 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

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Instructions

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1. Cookie: Preheat oven 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth. 

3. Sift together the dry ingredients. Fold into the butter mixture.

4. In a separate, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar and continue beating until soft peak form.

5. Whisk 1/3 of the meringue into the batter to lighten the texture. Carefully fold in the next 1/3 until streaky, then add the remaining meringue and fold until just combined. It will be like a very thick, slightly lumpy cake batter.

6. Put batter in a piping bag and pipe 16 large, flat circles on the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of space in between. Alternatively, you can wet your hands and scoop 1-inch balls of batter and place on the baking trays and flatten to about 1/2-inch thick

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden and center is set. Cool on pan 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

8. Use a cookie cutter to cut the edges of the cookie and make them all even sizes, and trim off the dome if it has risen too high. Turn half the cookies upside down, and pair with the other half. Set aside

9. Marshmallow: Stir together powdered gelatin and 2 Tablespoons cool water in a large mixing bowl (the same bowl you'll be whipping the marshmallow in). Set aside

   • If using gelatin sheets, bloom in ice water for 6 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Place in the large bowl.

10. Combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, honey, and vanilla in a saucepan. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil and cook without stirring until mixture reaches soft ball stage (on a candy thermometer 112-115°C or 238-240°F).

11. Using a hand- or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, set mixer on low and slowly pour hot syrup over gelatin in mixing bowl. When thoroughly combined, increase speed to high. Beat mixture until it becomes lukewarm and starts to get stretchy

12. Using a greased rubber spatula, transfer marshmallow to a piping bag with a large circle piping tip, and pipe tall dollops in the center of the upside-down cookies. Let sit for a minute to allow it to start setting, then sandwich with another cookie. Press until marshmallow reaches the edges. Let set completely

    • You may have some marshmallow leftover. You can pipe them on sheets of parchment covered in a mixture of 50% cornstarch and 50% powdered sugar, and dust the tops with more of the mixture. Let set, and store in an airtight container.

13. Assembly: Melt the dark chocolate and butter together over a double boiler. Using two forks, dip the sandwiched cookie pie into the chocolate and flip over to coat completely. Lift the choco pie from under its bottom with the two forks, and shake the forks up and down to remove the excess chocolate. Carefully place on a parchment-covered tray. Repeat with remaining choco pies, then refrigerate to set.

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Flavorings: You can incorporate flavors into the cookie with the dry ingredients (powdered) or the butter mixture (liquid). You can also add flavorings to the marshmallow by whisking it in with the bloomed gelatin (i.e. powders or extracts) or cooking it with the sugar syrup (i.e. coffee). Feel free to substitute the dark chocolate coating with white or milk chocolate as well.