Easter Candy Cookies

Looking for a way to dispose of use up the candy for the Easter Baskets and avoid a 50-day long candy binge?

Well, depending on how you use these, this idea might not help! :)  But it's fun just the same, and really easy, too!

A couple of quick notes:  Both the baked cookies and the cookie dough from this unbelievably simple recipe will freeze very well.  The dough should be made into individual cookie portions, then finger-pressed to about a 1/2" thickness--more or less pinky-width--and individually frozen on a tray before storing in a ziplock bag.  Doing this makes the cookies bake perfectly evenly, right from the freezer, and even toddlers can help!

Also, you may want to keep this recipe handy, because it's great for leftover candy from Halloween and Christmas, too!  (Plus, the basic recipe is so crazy simple, you'll want to make these any time you want a quick, home-baked cookie that the kids can make with minimal mess!)

Here's the basic dough recipe:

• 1 box yellow cake mix (or pretty much any flavor you think would be tasty)
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs

Stir together in a medium bowl until the dry mix is fully incorporated.  That's it!  Form them into 1-2" balls, and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned (don't overbake!).  Cool on the pan for about 2 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

But wait! Before forming the cookie balls, don't forget the Easter Candy add-ins!  The recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies, so we divided the dough into three small bowls, and Taz, Junie B. and I each tossed in whatever we wanted!

Here's what we came up with:

Taz's Special:  Jelly Belly Delights

• Dig out all the jelly bellies you can find from the community Easter Candy bowl. 
• Work about 1/2 of them into the dough.
• Eat the rest.  Unless it's the coffee-flavored kind; these are unceremoniously spewed at your sister.
• Form into balls and bake as above.  (These took 10 minutes in our oven.)

Junie B.'s Special:  Chocolate Egg Hunt Surprise

• Divide the dough into 10-12 portions.  Unwrap a 1" foil egg, and form the dough around it, completely covering the chocolate. 
• Flatten slightly, and decorate with 3 skittles or jelly bellies.
• Bake as above, for more like 11-12 minutes.
• Note of caution--the chocolate center may take a minute or two longer to cool than the cookie itself.  Take care in offering these warm to the little ones!

Mama's Special:  M&M Pastel Egg Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• Place a handful or two of M&M pastel eggs in a ziplock bag, and crush coarsely with a rolling pin (or whatever you got). 
• Incorporate into the dough, then shape into 12 equal-sized balls.
• Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on size.

We're also considering combining the peeps and the Chocolate Crosses with graham crackers to make Easter S'mores.  I'll let you know if they turn out! :)
 

Comments

[michelle waters]

Wow, those would look great if I hadn't already overindulged in enough Easter candy. Ugh! You're good to actually do something with it - I usually end up secrectly throwing lots away!

[Rebecca]

Yum! I love jelly bellies. They only last a few minutes around here. :)

[Jessica]

These look delicious! :)

What I want to know, is how you can not even taste them!?!?

[Eileen]

LOL!!! I have to admit, they smell pretty good. But if I were going to go down in flames on this one, I hope it wouldn't be for cake mix and drugstore candy!!! :)