#39. Avocado Candy Bar Cookies

Yes, you read correctly. These cookies have a split personality: wholesome for their use of healthful avocado fats (instead harmful animal ones from butter) YET chock full o’ chunks of candy bars.

Does the latter vice cancel out the former virtue? I think not.

The plant lipids take the suppleness of these cookies to eleven and only contribute the mildest of botanical flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mashed avocado, finely mashed

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 cup chocolate candy bars and M&Ms, chopped
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine avocado, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. In separate smaller bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.

4. Gradually incorporate dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredients.

5. Fold in candy bar chunks.

6. Using a spoon, place golfball-size scoops evenly spaced on baking sheets.

7. Bake 8-10 minutes until just set.

#38. Chocolate-Covered Halloween Sandwich Cookies

This blog post not sponsored by Nabisco.

I’m old enough to remember a time in which the only “limited edition” Oreos available were those that emerged in mid-September double-stuffed with orange (in color never in flavor) creme.

Orange is my favorite hue and Halloween, my favorite holiday. How could I not lust after these heavily processed yet insanely delicious cookies?

Each year I purchase a family-size package (hey, I have a husband and two cats—that counts as a clan) and nosh all month long. This year, I put aside a few cookies to make some chocolate-covered cookie sammies. Hey, not every recipe has to involve a lot of heavy-lifting.

Ingredients

• Halloween Oreos (or generic Halloween-theme chocolate cookie sandwiches if you have no soul)

• Melting chocolate (chocolate chips or bar)

• Halloween sprinkles

Directions

1. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.

2. Melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals. Make sure bowl is absolutely devoid of any water or else chocolate will ‘seize up’ and fail to melt smoothly.

3. Dunk Halloween Oreos one by one in melted chocolate and place on wax paper.

4. Decorate immediately with theme sprinkles.

5. Cool in fridge until chocolate is hardened.

#37. Candy Corn Pinwheels

Well, this has got to be fake news:

“The results of a 2017 survey…revealed that 49 percent of [U.S. consumers] think candy corn is tasty, while 23 percent of respondents think that candy corn is gross.”

Almost a 1/4 of my fellow Americans hate candy corn??? What is wrong with you people!?!

Fine, haters. But keep your shirt on; these cookies don’t actually taste like candy corn.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter brought to room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• yellow and orange food coloring

Just about to add third layer…

Directions

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar.

3. Add in egg and vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

5. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture to wet ingredients.

6. Separate dough into three portions.

7. Leave Portion #1 as is and dye Portions #2 and #3 yellow and orange, respectively.

8. Chill all three dough portions for 20 minutes in the fridge.

9. On a floured surface, roll out Portion #1 (white) into a rough rectangle.

10. Do the same for Portions #2 and #3.

11. Layer (note, opposite order) the dough rectangles bottom to top: orange (Portion #3) to yellow (Portion #2) to white (Portion #1).

12. Trim edges with knife for more uniform edges.

13. Roll into log. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in fridge.

14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

15. Slice log as to form pinwheel discs.

16. Space evenly on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

#34. Mocha Crunchy Espresso M&Ms Brookies

Guys, guys, guys!!! IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

I’m talking about Halloween, my favorite season. Because it’s not just a “holiday” as in a singular 24-hour celebration but rather a month-long festival.

[I would seriously be this excited even if I hadn’t eaten several coffee-infused baked goods.]

I could and probably should write a book on why I so adore Halloween. However, since brevity is the soul of wit, I will simply say any occasion that sanctions pumpkins, the color orange, and the copious consumption of candy deserves my love.

In the spirit of Halloween (get ready, that’s the first of many puns), I’m baking as much as possible with candy for the next 30 days.

Some recent stress led to less-than-restful slumber the last few nights, so to ensure the pep in my step, I decided to supplement my liquid caffeine intake with some edibles in the form of these brookies.* Using brownie mix to make the dough is a cookie hack I had also been wanting to try for a while, and fortunately, it was not a #pinterestfail.

Ingredients

• 1 19.8 oz brownie mix

• 1/3 cup flour

• 2 Tablespoons ground coffee

• 2 eggs

• 3 Tablespoons water

• 2 cups Crunchy Espresso M&Ms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, flour, and ground coffee. Set aside.

4. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs with water.

5. Gradually add dry mixture to wet ingredients.

6. When thick batter has formed, stir in M&Ms.

7. Chill dough in fridge for 20 minutes.

8. Use an ice cream scoop to form dough spheres the size of golf balls.

9. Place spheres on baking sheets approximately 1.5 inches apart.

10. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

*Betty and I disagree with regards to what constitutes a brookie. I think the composition should reflect the portmanteau and be a true hybrid, not just an unblended part-cookie, part-brownie confection.