Easter Basket Cookies

And the Peep-a-palooza continues! Since I had a ton of Peeps leftover from the Peeps krispie squares I posted last week I had to find another way to use them up. Out of nowhere I was struck by a genius idea. I would mix Peeps and mini eggs, two of the great Easter candies, into one fantastic cookie.

Easter Basket Cookies

adapted from the Joy of Baking

makes 48+ cookies

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup white flour
• 8 to 10 Peeps, cut up
• 1 cup chocolate eggs (Mini Eggs or Eggies)

Using a serrated knife sprayed with cooking spray cut Peeps into pieces about the same size as the mini eggs and put them in the freezer while you put together the rest of the dough.

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients. When combined, add the marshmallows and mini eggs.  

Using a tablespoon scoop, or two spoons, transfer dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the pan before transferring to racks to cool. 

 

Admittedly, these are not the most attractive cookies in the world but they are some of the most delicious I think I've made. The cookie itself is chewy and the marshmallow makes them even chewier. Even after a few days these are still as soft as day one. Just how I like them.

You probably don't have to freeze the Peeps but I thought it might slow down the melting process and make them easier to handle. The most important step of this recipe is to line the baking sheets with parchment paper. I was running low so I tried the first batch without and they were a disaster. The melted marshmallow stuck to the pan and the cookies fell apart when I tried to get them off the pan. 

Secondly,  you need to be prepared to have some truly ugly cookies. Depending on where the marshmallows end up, they might melt the wrong way and you'll end up with a disintegrated cookie. Luckily the recipe yields so many cookies that you can stand to lose a few. They're all equally delicious but some make for better presentation than others.

Pretty cookie

Marshmallow eruption

 What is your favorite candy mash up?