Surprise Cookies

Merry Christmas! When I was a kid, every Christmas we would get a tin of cookies from Grandma. I looked forward to that so much because I knew that the tin would contain Surprise Cookies. Surprise cookies were sugar cookies molded around chocolate mint wafers. They were so good and only Grandma made them.

Grandma always bought the chocolate mint wafers at Frederick & Nelson department store, which closed in 1992. Plus if Grandma had a recipe for these, no one knows what it was. After Grandma passed away, I got her recipe box, but I don’t think she followed a recipe for any of the dishes I remember. I was looking though my Bake-Off Cookbook and noticed this recipe for Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies, which seemed a lot like Grandma’s Surprise Cookies. I decided to try them.

I still couldn’t find the same chocolate mint wafers that Grandma used, but I found chocolate mint UFOs at Trader Joe's that seemed like a good substitute. They are thicker than the wafers that Grandma used, but fairly close. You could also use Andes Mints, but your cookies would be more rectangular. These turned out really well and it brings me back. They aren’t the same as Grandma’s but nothing will be the same. I’m giving these to my cousins and I hope these bring back memories for them!

1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate mint candy wafers

In a large mixer bowl, blend sugar, brown sugar, butter, water, vanilla, and eggs until well mixed. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture and mix at low speed until well blended. Gather dough together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Using about 1 tablespoon of dough, mold around the candy wafer to cover completely. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Laura Rott, The Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook