Candy Bag Cookies

This is not the year to mess around with Halloween candy, so join me and eat it all at once in cookie form.

I use a blend of whole wheat flour and almond flour so we can get some nutrition into these. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. Like how you make your kid eat a slice of pizza before they go out trick or treating to balance out the 24 pounds of sugar they’ll consume as they wander the dark streets.

Don’t have almond flour? Substitute white flour. Don’t have whole wheat flour? Buy some. You really should have it in the house. (Alternatively, you can substitute white flour).

I had to divide the dough into three parts to deal with the various factions in my house. One batch got everything except the highly controversial Mounds bar. Another, for my neighbor and sister-in-law included the Mounds bar. And for my daughter, who is cranking away at her college applications, her very own batch made just with Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Trick and Treat Candy Bag Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup (206 grams) whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup (127 grams) almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/4 cup milk (scant)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 cup (146 grams) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (134 grams) ligth brown sugar

All the candy you can find, chopped up into nice chunks (keep your M & Ms whole).

How to:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Measure the milk in a glass measuring cup. Add the milk and the vanilla to the cup and mix well. Set aside to come to room temperature.

2. Cream the butter using a hand or stand mixer. Start the beaters on low; your first goal is to soften the butter. Add both the sugars and beat on medium-high until the mixture is light and fluffy. This takes longer than you think. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Lower the speed and add the egg mixture slowly. Once the liquid is no longer sloshing around the butter, turn the speed to medium and blend until fully mixed.

3. Add the flour in three parts, scraping the sides of the bowl between additions. Divide the dough into separate bowls if making different varieties of candy cookies as I did, so I can please all the people all the time. Mix in the candies by hand.

4. If you have the patience, refrigerate the dough for an hour or longer. Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden (If baking more than one pan at a time, remember to rotate the pans for even cooking.)

4. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to cooling rack.

Boo!

(did I scare you?)