Category Archives: Candy

Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip Cookies

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Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip CookiesIn five days, I will post a pumpkin recipe. I promise.

For some reason, this year I’m insisting on holding out on all the pumpkin until it’s “officially” fall. It’s getting silly. I have had absolutely zero recipe ideas this week that don’t involve cracking open a can of the orange stuff. Not a one. But I’m stubborn, and so I am holding out for exactly five more days. If, however, you are not as ridiculous as I am, you can get your pumpkin fix here and here.

Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip CookiesThank goodness I have an ever-growing list of recipe ideas on my phone. When I feel stuck on an ingredient, or if I have had too many fails in a row and don’t feel up to baking, that list always helps me to get excited about being in the kitchen again. Without it, I may have put off sharing these Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip Cookies until after Christmas, and that’d be a real shame because they are fabulous.

Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip CookiesCaramel-Stuffed Potato Chip CookiesCaramel-Stuffed Potato Chip CookiesThese cookies, y’all. They’re super chewy, studded with crispy crushed potato chips, and stuffed with gooey caramel. Top that fantastic mix of textures with an addictive sweet and salty flavor combination, and they’re absolutely irresistible! Trust me, these cookies make holding out for pumpkin season just a little bit easier.

Have a great weekend!Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip Cookies

Caramel-Stuffed Potato Chip Cookies
makes about 3.5 dozen cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups crushed ruffled potato chips*
20 caramel candies,* sliced in quarters

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until fluffy. Mix in light brown and granulated sugars, followed by egg and yolk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in two installments, mixing completely after each addition. Add in crushed potato chips, mixing just until dispersed. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 90 minutes or up to three days.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Scoop dough by the tablespoon and roll into balls. Flatten the balls. Place a quarter-caramel in the middle of each dough ball and wrap the dough around it, using your fingers to smooth any seams. Place dough balls at least two inches apart on prepared pans. Bake 8-10 minutes, until they look just slightly underbaked.

Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for ten minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Serve cookies warm or at room temperature.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes:

1.  Use sturdy chips–if they can’t scoop up dip without breaking, don’t use them here. Thin, flimsy chips will basically “melt” into the dough. Use ruffled or kettle-cooked potato chips.

2.  I use Kraft caramels.

M&Ms Sandwich Cookies

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 If you haven’t noticed, I love sandwich cookies. This blog has existed for eight months, and I already have six sandwich cookie recipes in my recipe index. I mean, cookies and frosting together–does a more perfect dessert even exist?! 

Today’s sandwich cookies are my version of a favorite treat from my teenage years. Back then, I was on the high school dance team. Once classes were over for the day, I’d have thirty minutes to change and eat something before practice. Usually the whole team would go for some sort of fast food (ah, teenage metabolism), but occasionally, when everyone was attending tutorials or some other after-school program, I’d zip over to Ridgmar Mall, run to the cookie kiosk, and grab one or two (okay, okay, three!) miniature M&Ms sandwich cookies before driving back to school to dance off all the calories.

To this day, I get nostalgic for those soft cookies, M&Ms, and creamy vanilla filling. But I can’t remember the last time I was in a mall (one of the advantages of living in New York City). And as I always have fresh baked goods at home, I no longer stop for mass-produced treats. 

These days, if I want a few M&Ms Sandwich Cookies, I make them myself. They’re so much better than anything you could get at a mall. Soft, chewy cookies speckled with colorful milk chocolate M&Ms and sandwiched together with a smooth vanilla filling?! Yes. I’ll take three.

Most of my sandwich cookie recipes make five or six dozen very small cookies–far more than anyone really needs. This recipe makes a much more manageable two dozen sandwich cookies. If you’d like more, this recipe doubles very well.

Also, these cookies are slightly larger than my regular sandwich cookies. Where all of my other sandwich cookie recipes require you to scoop dough by the teaspoon, the cookies in this recipe are each made with 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) of dough. The larger scoops cut down on the time spent rolling dough and also allow for more M&Ms in every bite! 

I love working with M&Ms for holidays. There’s a perfect color combination for every occasion–red and green for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween, pastels for Easter. Since the Fourth of July is coming up next week, I went with the red, white, and blue variety for this batch! I think they’re pretty cute 😊 No matter which holiday you’re making these for (even if it’s just that it’s the end of a long week), I know these M&Ms Sandwich Cookies will be a hit!

 Want more M&Ms treats? Check out my M&Ms-Potato Chip Cookies!

M&Ms Sandwich Cookies
makes 2 dozen sandwich cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar*
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup M&Ms milk chocolate candies

Filling:
1/2 cup shortening (or room temperature unsalted butter)
2 1/2-3 cups confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in granulated and light brown sugars, followed by egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients in two installments, combining completely after each addition. With the mixer on low, add in M&Ms and mix for 10-15 seconds until they are evenly dispersed. Cover and chill dough for 90 minutes, or up to three days.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Scoop chilled dough by the 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) and roll into balls. Set dough balls about two inches apart on prepared pans. Bake 7-8 minutes, until the tops are no longer shiny. Let cookies cool on pans for five minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.

Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat shortening (or butter) until fluffy. Beat in 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar and salt. Mix in vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. If filling is too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar. If it’s too thin, add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream. If you would like to pipe the filling, spoon it into a piping bag and snip off a corner.

There are two options for filling:

1. To assemble a sandwich cookie by piping, apply filling by pipe a circle in the middle of the underside of one cookie, leaving about 1/4″ around the edge. Top with a second plain cookie, with the underside filling-side-in. Repeat until all cookies have been used.

2. To assemble a sandwich cookie by spreading, use an offset frosting knife to spread 1/2-1 teaspoon on the underside of one cookie. Top with a second plain cookie, with the underside filling-side-in. Repeat until all cookies have been used.

M&Ms Sandwich Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Note:

There is no substitute for cream of tartar in this recipe.

Marzipan Bundt Cake

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 I have so much baking stuff, it’s kind of insane. Sure, there are the pans and bowls and spatulas, but those are necessary in my line of work. The mix-in cabinet, however, is not. Yes, I have an entire cabinet that is just chocolate chips (nine pounds of them!), candy, nuts, and dried fruit. What can I say? I like to have options.

The problem is, I often forget about what I have. That’s how I ended up with three pounds of raisins. I really should keep an Excel spreadsheet. 

Long story short, I was looking for some granola mix-ins on Sunday night and ran across a leftover can of marzipan. I had bought it when I made Marzipan Cookies six weeks ago, and then put it in the cabinet to be forgotten about forever. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it except that it was leaning precariously on top of the package of dates that I needed. 

That got me thinking…what am I ever going to do with a can of marzipan? Make more cookies? I rarely repeat a recipe once it’s done testing. I could make little marzipan fruits? My motor skills leave something to be desired. And then, it came to me. Cake. 

After last week’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Oreo Buttercream, I really didn’t need anymore cake right that minute, but I grabbed my mixer anyway and got to work. I beat together butter, marzipan, and sugar. Next came some sugar a bunch of eggs, some vanilla and almond extracts, and a mixture of milk and sour cream, just to keep everything moist. I sifted in some flour, cornstarch, leaveners, and salt, beat it all together, and poured it into a bundt pan.

Forty-five minutes later, I removed the most beautiful, golden cake from the oven, and not being one to leave well enough alone, I mixed up a quick vanilla glaze and toasted some almonds. Not long after, I was eating cake in my pajamas and wondering why I don’t keep more marzipan on-hand because OMG this cake is everything.

 

 Seriously, I can’t say enough good things about this Marzipan Bundt Cake. It’s easy enough to be whipped up on the fly on a Sunday night. The batter is so gorgeous, I can’t even describe it. The word “luscious” comes to mind, but that doesn’t do it justice. Let’s just say that if I had the capability on here, there would be a looping video of it being poured into the pan. #bakingnerd 

And the flavor. Oh my word. If you are a fan of marzipan at all, make this cake. The sweet almond flavor is amazing, and the moist, dense-crumbed texture is just delightful. Oh, and the glaze. I love a good glaze, and this vanilla one perfectly offsets the intense almond flavor. The toasted slivered almonds are totally optional, of course, but their crunchiness contrasts very well with the softness of the cake.

Just…make this cake. And be sure to grab an extra can of marzipan at the store–this recipe is one you’ll want to repeat. 

 Marzipan Bundt Cake
makes one 12.5 cup capacity bundt pan*

For the Pan:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (I like canola)

Cake:
1/2 cup sour cream (not fat free), room temperature
1/2 cup milk (not skim or fat free), room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8 ounces marzipan (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract*

Garnish and Glaze:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare the pan. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together flour and neutral-flavored oil. Use a pastry brush to paint the mixture onto the entire inside of a bundt pan. Make sure to cover every crevice. Pour out any excess. Set pan aside.

Make the batter. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together sour cream and milk. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter and marzipan until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, combining completely after each addition. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts, followed by sour cream/milk. Add dry ingredients in three installments, mixing on low after each addition. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap full pan on the counter ten times. Bake for 40-50 minutes, covering the top with foil at the 25 minute mark. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in several places comes out clean.

Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for fifteen minutes. Run a small, thin knife around the outer edges of the pan. Place a cooling rack upside-down on top of the pan. Holding onto both the rack and the pan, carefully flip the cake onto the cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely. 

Make the garnish. Preheat oven to 400F. Place slivered almonds on a baking sheet. Toast for five minutes, or just until fragrant. Do not let them burn. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and salt. Add four tablespoons of heavy cream and the vanilla, and whisk until combined. Add more cream by the tablespoon until the desired consistency has been reached.

Drizzle cooled cake with glaze, and scatter with toasted slivered almonds. Glaze will begin to set within 20 minutes, and will set completely after a few hours.

Cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note:

This recipe may also be split into two 9×5″ loaf pans, although I am unsure of the bake time.

Marzipan Bundt Cake

Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles

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 The only thing better than freshly baked cookies is the dough itself, am I right?!

I’m still making my way through the No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream I made last week, and while I love the ice cream itself, it’s the edible mint chocolate chip cookie dough that’s the real star of the show. It’s got me totally obsessed with edible cookie dough! It’s so simple and quick, and it can be made in literally any flavor. I’ve thought of so many variations already! Chocolate chip, peanut butter, ginger spice–the possibilities are endless! It can be a dessert dip, cake filling (<–doing that ASAP), or thrown into ice cream. But my favorite way to eat it at the moment? In truffle form! And Funfetti, because sprinkles. 

These Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles are a breeze to make. There’s no baking, and the candy coating is melted in the microwave, so you don’t even need to turn on a burner! If you manage your time wisely, these little truffles can be made start-to-finish in less than two hours.

But for all the ease of preparation, there are a few guidelines that make these little rainbow-colored confections both adorable and delicious.

First off, the flavor. How do we get that classic Funfetti cake flavor without using a boxed mix? With a combination of extracts! Here, we use a hefty dose of pure vanilla extract. Some Funfetti recipes use clear imitation vanilla, but to me it just tastes like chemicals. Really sweet chemicals. No, thanks. So use the real stuff. The other extract we use here is imitation butter extract. I know, I know. I just said how clear imitation vanilla tastes artificial to me. But hear me out. Imitation butter extract is used here in a very small dose–1/8 teaspoon. It serves as a background flavor to the vanilla, and gives the finished truffles that classic cake mix flavor. If you don’t have or don’t want to use imitation butter extract, you may leave it out without any negative effect on the flavor. 

Now, for the main event: sprinkles! On the left, you see nonpareils, the little ball-shaped ones. On the right, you see jimmies, the chewier cylindrical variety. Both are super fun, but they are not interchangeable in this recipe (or most Funfetti recipes). Once the eggless cookie dough base is prepared, mix in 1/3 cup of jimmies. These leave the dough speckled with cute pops of color! 

Do not use nonpareils in the dough. If you do, they will bleed their color into the dough, leaving everything a murky purple color. Even if you are really careful folding them in, this will happen. There’s no way around it. So, only use jimmies in the edible cookie dough. Use the nonpareils (or more jimmies) to decorate the coated truffles. 

Love those little clusters of color💗💗💗

As for the coating, these truffles require candy melts, which can be found at your local kitchen supply or craft store. They look a whole lot like big white chocolate chips, but the two are not interchangeable. If you use white chocolate chips to coat these, you will probably have issues. White chocolate (particularly in chip form) does not melt easily. In a double-boiler it can scorch in a second, leaving behind unattractive brown bits. I’ve done it many times–it’s very disheartening to waste perfectly good ingredients. If you put it in the microwave, it may not melt evenly, and look a little like cottage cheese. I tried it while testing this recipe because I didn’t want to make a trip to the kitchen supply for one thing. While I got the truffles coated, they weren’t smooth and pretty, and the white chocolate seized every time I dipped a ball of cookie dough. 

 So, I am here to tell you to take the special trip to the store. Candy melts do just that–melt. After about a minute and a half in the microwave and a quick stir with a fork, you’ll have smooth, beautiful candy coating ready for dipping.

And speaking of dipping, I tried two methods with these truffles. First, I tried toothpicks. I inserted a toothpick into a ball of dough, dipped it, let the excess coating drain off, and placed the coated truffle on a sheet of parchment. But when I tried to take the toothpick out, I was left with an annoying little hole. I tried to cover it with more candy coating and some sprinkles, but it was just too inefficient.  

  For dipping these truffles, I prefer to use a fork. I drop a cold ball of dough into the candy coating, and then use a fork to flip it around so it’s completely coated. Then I use the fork to lift the coated truffle out of the candy coating, let it drain for five to fifteen seconds (scraping the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl seems to help), and turn the fork completely upside down to place the truffle on the parchment. As soon as the truffle is released from the fork, top it with additional sprinkles. Don’t wait–the cookie dough centers are cold, and the coating sets quickly as a result. By the time you finish coating and sprinkling all your truffles, the first few you dipped will be ready to eat! If your candy coating is taking a while to set for some reason, set the truffles in the fridge for a few minutes. That should do the trick. 

 These colorful confections are perfect for birthday parties, gifting, or even Easter! You could use pastel-colored candy melts–how adorable would that be?! No matter where you serve them, these Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles are simple, delicious, and a whole lot of fun…fetti.

Sorry. Had to. 

 Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles
makes about four dozen truffles

Edible Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon imitation butter extract*,optional
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)

Coating:
2 cups white candy melts, melted
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils)

Line a rimmed 9×9″ baking pan with wax paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla, and optional imitation butter extract, and beat until combined. Mix in flour and salt, followed by jimmies. Scoop dough by the 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons), and roll into balls. Set rolled dough balls on prepared pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until a stir with a fork yields a smooth coating. Take dough balls out of the freezer. Use a fork to coat frozen dough balls into melted candy melts. Drain briefly. Set on parchment-lined baking sheet. As soon as the freshly-dipped truffle is on the baking sheet, sprinkle with additional sprinkles. Repeat with all dough balls. Candy melts should set quickly at room temperature, but truffles may be refrigerated for 15 minutes to set.

Truffles are best served at cool room temperature. They keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Note:

I use J.R. Watkins Imitation Butter Extract. It’s a huge bottle and will last you forever.

M&Ms Potato Chip Cookies

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 Hello! What did you do this weekend? I delivered some cookies to a jewelry store that is handing them out to shoppers, helped my friend David throw a fabulous Christmas party, and braved the Brooklyn Costco mid-afternoon in the name of New Year’s Eve. Insider tip: don’t do that last thing. We still don’t have a tree, but it definitely feels like the holidays. Except for the part where it is 65 degrees. I don’t even need a coat! But anyway…let’s talk about cookies.

Today is Day 9 of Twelve Days of Cookies! Are you a fan of sweet and salty desserts? I hope so. Last night, while we were doing some well-deserved vegging out, I was stuffing my face with potato chips and chasing them with chocolate-covered pecans. Henry asked what on earth I was eating, and when I told him/asked if he wanted some, he paused before turning me down. He’s not a dessert person, so that combination probably sounds vile to him. But, trust me, it is EVERYTHING. I am a sweet and salty fan all the way. The recipe I’m bringing you today is full of crushed potato chips and M&Ms, all baked into soft and chewy cookies. Yes, potato chips and M&Ms. Together. In perfect harmony. Trust me. You want to make these. You need these. 

    This dough base is identical to these Salted Caramel Chocolate-Covered Pecan Cookies. It’s soft and chewy thanks to room temperature butter, an extra egg yolk, and cornstarch. The dough has a full cup of light brown sugar and just a smidge of granulated sugar. The molasses in the light brown sugar helps to keep these cookies super soft and, of course, adds a ton of caramel flavor. Yum! Dry ingredients are added in three installments. Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, it’s time to add the M&Ms and potato chips.

Let’s talk about potato chips for a minute. I prefer the thick, ruffled variety. If you can’t find those or just don’t enjoy them, I recommend using kettle-cooked potato chips. Don’t use thin chips. If they can’t scoop up dip without breaking, they’re not the ones to use here. You see, this dough has to chill for 90 minutes. That is ample time for the moisture in the butter, eggs, and brown sugar to seep into the potato chip bits and make them soft and a little soggy. If we were to use thin, flimsy chips, they’d all be soft by the time they went into the oven. They might be so soft that they practically melt into the cookies. What’s the point of adding potato chips if you can’t even tell they’re in there?! Even using thick chips, some moisture will still get in, but when the cookies bake up, there will still be plenty of crispy pieces. The crunchy chips, melty M&Ms, and chewy cookie base are textural magic.

M&Ms Potato Chip Cookies are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, food gifting, and your dessert trays. And they’re a good option if you have little helpers. Let them crush up the chips and pour in the M&Ms! And taste-test, of course 😊 If, like me, sweet and salty is one of your favorite flavor combinations, you must must must (!) make these cookies. Between the afore-mentioned textural magic and festive colors of the M&Ms, these are guaranteed to be a hit!  Want more Twelve Days of Cookies? Check out my Chocolate Crinkles, Salted Caramel Chocolate-Covered Pecan Cookies, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Oreo-Stuffed Andes Peppermint Crunch Cookies, Apple Cider Snaps, Whipped Shortbread Snowballs, Eggnog Sandwich Cookies, and Red Velvet Peppermintdoodles. Three more cookie recipes are on the way before December 25!

M&Ms Potato Chip Cookies
makes about 3.5 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 cup M&Ms Minis Baking Bits*
1 1/2 cups crushed ruffled potato chips*

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together, flour, cornstarch, baking
soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until it is fluffy and lighter in color. Beat in light brown sugar and granulated sugar, followed by the egg and egg yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in three installments, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Fold in M&Ms Minis Baking Bits and crushed potato chips. Cover the dough and chill it for 90 minutes, or up to three days.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Scoop dough by the tablespoon, and roll into balls. Set dough balls at least two inches apart on prepared pans. Bake 8-10 minutes, until they no longer look raw. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with all remaining dough.

Cookies keep covered at room temperature for up to five days.

Notes:

1. Regular M&Ms will work here, but I like how the Baking Bits disperse themselves.
2. I use Ruffles Original.

M&Ms Potato Chip Cookies