Happy (Easter) Cookies

21 Apr

Easter weekend!  

Easter is my favourite holiday, both for the Christian background and the totally unrelated candy choices.  Although, eggs = hatching = new life…so there is some logic I suppose?

Sadly, this Easter Carl will be out of town so I needed something to cheer me up (besides the eggs and Mr. Munchy bunny I have stashed away for Gemma and me to enjoy in his absence).  

So I made Happy Cookies.

I’m pretty sure that’s not the technical term for these cuties, but growing up we always called them Happy Cookies, I think because they were dubbed that by my baby sister, and the name is just so apt.  So cute, so tasty, so small you can eat a few…it’s like getting a cookie AND a chocolatey treat and you can decide what order to eat them in or, if you’re the type that doesn’t separate your oreos, eat it all together…either way, HAPPINESS!  Literally forced down your throat!

Make your dough and roll the balls in sugar.

Cook ’em for 10 minutes then immediately grab the cutest helper you can find (sorry, this one’s taken) and put them to work!  

Top them with whatever floats your boat…we did caramel kisses and, since it’s Easter season and they make Gemma happy, mini eggs (kind of looks like nests right?), but they’re also great with chocolate rosebuds, peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, etc.  Something with chocolate though, that’s imperative.

HAPPY COOKIES

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling balls in – mind, please exit gutter.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

About 50 chocolate kisses or other candies for centers (if using wrapped candy, unwrap while cookies cook and keep in the fridge between batches).

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder and soda and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat margarine and peanut butter on medium speed for 30 seconds, then add sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat well.  Gradually beat in flour mixture until well combined.

Shape dough into 1″ balls, roll in sugar to coat and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned.  Remove pan from oven and immediately press kiss into center of each cookie (try not to burn your lips).  Remove and cool completely on racks.

Makes about 50 small, delicious cookies that freeze well.

5 Responses to “Happy (Easter) Cookies”

  1. Tanya April 21, 2011 at 7:02 pm #

    Ahh! I will definitely be making these soon. They are SO yummy!

  2. Kim Kampen April 21, 2011 at 11:16 pm #

    And don’t forget when you run out of rosebuds (usually thanks to little hands taking them to try out before the cookies are done)and some cookies don’t get a chocolate in the middle, they are the unhappy cookies and must consumed immediately to put them out of their misery. 🙂

  3. Eftychia April 29, 2011 at 1:42 am #

    Very beautiful! Your baby is so cute!

  4. char May 3, 2011 at 3:24 pm #

    for the record – these are aMAzing!! I had to adjust temperature and the length of baking but ended up with some superb cookies 🙂 thanks for sharing!

  5. Kim May 9, 2011 at 1:54 am #

    I forgot to tell you that Emily and Nick made the Easter egg version for Easter Sun. and the were quite a hit. They looked so cute. I was sure the eggs would just roll off but they stayed on amazingly well.

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