Rocky road cookies

Set the oven to 350; the dough needs no chilling.

In a medium bowl combine the flour (weighed, or fluffed and spooned into the cup and levelled), cocoa powder, salt and baking soda; sift out the lumps, pushing them through with the back of a spoon, and whisk.

In the stand mixer put the room-temperature butter, soft enough to indent but not melted (microwave at 50% power in bursts if too hard), with the granulated and brown sugars; cream three minutes on medium until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once.

Roughly chop the almonds; if not already toasted, toast on a baking tray at 350, checking and mixing every three to four minutes until slightly darkened and fragrant.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix 30 seconds until combined; scrape the bowl, since the butter stays at the bottom and the less dense egg rises.

Add the dry ingredients in three parts on low, a few seconds each with a good scrape, stopping while still shaggy.

Add the chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and chopped almonds and mix on low with the paddle a few seconds to distribute.

Scoop with a 1.5-tablespoon scoop onto two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, two inches apart, removing any marshmallow at the edge of a cookie.

Optionally press split mini marshmallows, chopped almonds and a couple of chocolate chips on top.

Bake at 350 for eight to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and puffed; corral any spread cookies with a cookie cutter.