In the Bay area, it’s not Mardi Gras without MoonPies. Traditionally, the craveable snack is made of pillowy marshmallow nestled between two graham cracker cookies and covered in chocolate. The MoonPie originated in 1917, then a few decades later, members of Mobile’s mystic societies began tossing them to paradegoers. Who threw the first MoonPie at a Mardi Gras parade? Many legends claim to know the answer, so the mystery only adds to the magic.
The MoonPie’s mystique does not stop with its history. Inside the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, an iconic Downtown institution, lies a thrilling secret which, according to Executive Chef Tony Reynolds, is not such a secret anymore. “I’m afraid the word has gotten out,” he says, laughing. His pastry chef, Sofia Kulakowski, affirms that it has.
The secret? Kulakowski’s MoonPies, which she describes as “a perfectly imperfect, delicious labor of love.” The MoonPies are made entirely from scratch — the fluffy marshmallow, two different flavors of cookies, everything. Kulakowski sandwiches them by hand before dipping them in chocolate the old-fashioned way, using two forks. Her MoonPies come in a variety of mouth-watering flavors, including milk chocolate, banana, milk chocolate peanut butter and vanilla white chocolate. For one of her most popular flavors, sea salted caramel, Kulakowski special-orders French sea salt to incorporate into her rich, smooth caramel. “It is definitely a labor-intensive process,” she says. “But I love it, and everybody loves the MoonPies.” Her efforts result in beautiful desserts that taste incredible and look like they should be displayed in a gourmet pastry shop window.
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