Grasshopper Lunar Cookies

Note: Read through all of the instructions prior to beginning the process.

1. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the margarine/butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cream them together for an additional 3 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg and vanilla. Beat to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour and salt to the cream mixture, incorporating a little at a time.
4. Divide the dough equally onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Tightly cover and form each into a small disk. Allow the dough to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F.
5. After chilling, remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a very well floured baking mat. Roll until between 1/4″ and 1/8″ thickness. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut the cookies from the rolled out dough. Carefully place the cookies onto a cookie sheet that you’ve lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Leave at least 1″ between each cookie. Place any unused dough back in the plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator while the batch bakes.
6. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.
7. Repeat the process as many times as needed to use all the dough. This will vary depending on the size of cookie sheet you use.
8. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
9. When the cookies are completely cool, begin preparing your marshmallow cream.
10. Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start beating on low and slowly increase the speed of the mixer to incorporate air. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Set aside when done.
11. While the egg whites are whisking, heat the corn syrup over high heat in a small saucepan. Do not stir it! Use a candy thermometer to read the temperature of the syrup. Heat, undisturbed, until it reached 235 F.
12. Slowly stream the hot syrup into the the stiff peaked egg whites, as you are beating on medium speed. Continue to beat for 2 minutes until the mixture is glossy.
13. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, extract, and food coloring.
14. Using two spoons, mound 1 tablespoon of the marshmallow cream onto the bottom side of a cooled cookie. Place another cookie on top of the mound and carefully press. If the cream begins to spread unevenly, slowly rotate the top cookie to evenly distribute the filling. Repeat for all of the cookies and filling. Place the sandwich cookies on a cooling rack placed over a large cookie sheet.
15. To create the chocolate coating, place the chocolate chips and oil in a large heat proof measuring cup or bowl. Heat in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each heating. Repeat until all of the chocolate is melted. It should take 3-4 bursts.
16. Carefully spoon the melted chocolate over the sandwich cookies, using the back of the spoon to carefully drip the coating over the sides.
17. Refrigerate the sandwiches for at least 1 hour to allow the chocolate to harden and the marshmallow to set.
18. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.