This unusual ‘cookie’ is similar to a Blondie - but dressed up on top with a layer of marshmallows and a baked meringue topping. The chocolate & nuts keep it interesting - and sweet... If you love deviations from good old ‘standby’ cookies - give these a whirl. I enjoyed the surplus of textures and flavors you rarely see together in one cookie.
I originally found this strange combination of a bar cookie on foododelmundo.com - and I’ve been trying to find the origin ever since.
The “Mud Hen” name has shown up in Mud Hen, New Jersey, Charleston, West Virginia, and finally Toledo, Ohio - with one of the finest minor league franchises in all of sports - the Toledo Mud Hens (originating in 1896 - team photo below...)
It seems variations of this recipe have been around since at least the 1950’s - it’s as old as I am! It has turned up in church cookbooks, newspaper food columns, and passed from mother to daughter since then.
This is one of those “adventurous” types of sweet treats - that crosses the lines between a bar, drop, and meringue type of cookie. I’ve never seen a meringue made with brown sugar, which gave it an earthy taste - not so refined.
I thrive on nuts - especially when they are coarsely chopped, so you KNOW it’s a nut. The marshmallows provide a barrier between the cookie base and the moist meringue topping. That made it a little challenging to make a nice, clean cut - which is annoying when you’re trying to get a good photo!
At first glance, you might not give these a chance. But give them a try and see if you are a “MUD HEN” type.
For this cookie recipe of yesteryear - go to:
These sound fabulous. I just printed up the recipe. Thanks!
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