Mango Float Choco Pies
This recipe was adapted from Food52, Taste of Home, & Burnt Apple.
Servings 14 choco pies
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs from about 40 squares
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
For the Mango Marshmallow *Makes enough for 28 choco pies
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, for brushing the pan & the top of the marshmallow layer
- 3 (.75 oz) envelopes unflavored Knox gelatin
- 1 ¼ cups chilled mango nectar, divided
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 2-3 drops orange food coloring
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons hot water
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy on medium-high speed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, alternating between each and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Make sure to scrape the bowl in between mix-ins.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for about 15 minutes (or until golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pans).
- Cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Cut out 28 total rounds using a 2.5-inch circle cookie cutter.
For the Mango Marshmallow:
- Cover a 12x18 baking pan with plastic wrap. Brush the plastic wrap with vegetable oil.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup nectar.
- In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and remaining nectar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 240°F (soft-ball stage).
- Remove from heat; slowly drizzle into gelatin, beating on high speed. Continue beating until very stiff and doubled in volume, about 10-12 minutes. Immediately beat in orange food coloring. Spread into prepared pan. Lightly brush the tops of the marshmallow with oil and then cover with plastic wrap. Let cool at room temperature 6 hours or overnight.
- Mix the powdered sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Dust a small cookie cutter (2.5") with powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture, and cut out 14 marshmallow rounds (you will have extra marshmallows). Set rounds aside on a large piece of parchment paper.
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- Mix together all your ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until smooth. Add additional hot water (1-2 teaspoons at a time) to thin if needed.
- As glaze cools it will begin to thicken and harden. To keep at the same consistency, you may need to add in an additional 1-2 teaspoons of hot water at a time to thin and keep in its original form.
For Assembly:
- Lay out the cake rounds onto a baking sheet, pairing 2 cake rounds together and placing a marshmallow in the middle to create a sandwich. You will end up with 14 sandwiches.
- Line a 12x18 baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top.
- Line up the cake sandwiches on the cooling rack and pour the chocolate glaze over the top of each choco pie.
- Taking one choco pie at a time, use an offset spatula to carefully dip the bottom of the choco pie onto the excess chocolate (that dripped onto the parchment sheet).
- Transfer onto another 12x18 baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to cool.
- Repeat the process until you're done.