My boys are kind of crazy about cookies and cream flavored anything: candy bars, ice cream, milk shakes. So, I was pretty certain that cookies and cream COOKIES would be a hit.
After a quick internet search while standing in the Target aisle to see if the drops would hold up to baking, I saw that Shelly of Cookies and Cups had made cookies and cream cookies a couple of years ago. If Shelly had used them, I knew I was onto something good. Her recipe is here.You know, I remember when "cookies and cream" was a real novelty.
"There are COOKIES in my ICE CREAM!"
This was back in the day before ice cream was loaded with everything but the kitchen sink. (Not that I'm complaining #moremixinsplease.)
The cookies are big, thick, substantial, chocolatey cookies. As I'm typing this post, Mr. E pipes up..."you could top those with cookies and cream ice cream and sell them in a restaurant." Now, why didn't I think of topping them with ice cream?!? See...this is why I keep him around. ;)
You'll need 3 mix-ins for these cookies: the cookies and creme drops I mentioned earlier (I bought these at Target, but have also seen them at my grocery store), Oreos, and white chocolate chips.
You'll also need at muffin top or whoopie pie pan. (You know you want one.) Mine is from Sur la Table, but I found a similar one on Amazon, too.
Cookies and Cream Cookies
{makes 18 large cookies}
1 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 cup Hershey's Cookies and Creme Drops
1 cup white chocolate chips, reserving a few for the tops
1 cup coarsely chopped Oreos
Grease a muffin top/whoopie pie pan with shortening.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating on low. Stir in the drops, chips, and Oreos.
The dough will be very sticky. Refrigerate 1 hour to make it easier to work with.
Preheat oven to 350.
Scoop 1/4 cup dough into each pan cavity. Wet fingers and lightly press the dough down. It may not over the entire cavity of the pan; that's ok. Press a few of the reserved white chocolate chips onto the top of the dough.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes. Run a small spatula along the edge of the pan and lift onto a cooling rack. Rinse the pan with cool water and re-grease the pan.
Cookies and Cream Cookies. Your dudes will love them.
