Candy Bar Cookies

Do you ever worry about all that leftover Halloween candy in your house?  I do, but probably not in the way that you’d think a mom-dietitian would worry. While the sheer quantity of candy is overwhelming, it is neither the fat nor sugar that keeps me awake at night.  It’s the fact that I know — I know — that much of the candy will no longer be fresh when we finally get to eating it.  Yes, you read that right. I worry about whether, in a few months, the Hershey’s kisses will be fresh, the Starburst will still be soft and chewy, and if the Snickers will hold up.

I especially hate to see perfectly good chocolate go to waste.

Such a dilemma!  What to do? BAKE with it!  I had quite a variety of candy ingredients to choose from, but decided to stick with Butterfingers and Kit Kats, because these were plentiful, and I didn’t want to wipe out the supply of any one candy that would turn out to be a kid’s favorite. After searching the Internet for difference recipes, I found what seemed like a good recipe to adapt for my purposes. The results were awesome! The cookie was chewy and rich with big chunks of chips and candy bar throughout.  It originally called for chocolate chips, but I was out so used butterscotch instead.  The combo of butterscotch, chocolate, and the slightly peanutty cookie was awesome, and demanded a glass of milk to wash it all down. The base cookie recipe itself (adapted by Nook & Pantry from a Cook’s Illustrated chocolate chip cookie recipe) is better than the Toll House recipe I have used for many years.  That was an epiphany for sure!

If you’ve already donated and/or devoured your Halloween candy, never fear. They sell these ingredients year-round, so get them and make these today!

Candy Bar Cookies
adapted from Nook & Pantry
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 stick (12 Tbsp) butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup creamy  peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup butterscotch chips
Roughly 2/3 to 3/4 cup chopped Butterfingers and/or Kit Kats (5 or 6 fun size  bars)

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2) Chop the Butterfingers and Kit Kats into 1/2 inch pieces.

3) In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted and cooled butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix by hand until almost combined. Stir in the butterscotch chips and candy bars.

5) Drop by rounded teaspoons-full onto a cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart.  Bake at 325 degrees F for  15 to 18 minutes. Start checking the cookies at around 13 minutes. They are done when the edges are set and slightly browned, but the center still looks underdone. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.