Side Orders: These Halloween cookies are filled with flavor

I am coming out of the cookie closet today to admit that I am a cookie-aholic. At my cousin's recent wedding, I had to leave a little early - even before the cake was cut - but managed to sneak a cookie into my purse as I was leaving. I planned on enjoying it when I got home and never should have taken that first bite as I drove out of the parking lot. It was divine - big and soft with almond flavoring and a luscious white frosting and was gone before I hit the main highway home. Only a few crumbs remained.

So now the truth is out, and now is the perfect time of year to indulge in a cookie lover's passion. It's Halloween.

I live on a dead-end road way up on a hill and get no trick-or-treaters - but that will not stop me from making a batch of cookies again this year. It's been this way for the past 15 years that I've lived in this house, and while I do not like not having any trick-or-treaters, I do love the fact that I can have all the cookies to myself.

These cookies are new to me this year, but when I saw the recipe from Hershey's, I couldn't help but take notice. With those wonderful little Reese's Pieces, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and dark cocoa powder, they not only look good for Halloween, they are absolutely delicious any time of year. However, you might want to swap out the dark cocoa powder for a lighter version, as the dark cocoa powder makes for an almost-black cookie - rather eerie for any time other than Halloween.

So as those cute little ghosts and goblins come to your door this year, share a cookie with them. Or not. Give them an apple, and keep the cookies to yourself. I know it may be a little late to start thinking about baking cookies, as tonight's the night for trick-or-treaters, but these cookies are simple to make.

Halloween Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup Nestle Halloween baking chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup mini Reese's Pieces baking candies

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars, and beat for 3-4 minutes, until light. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to the other mixture, and mix on low speed, just until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the Halloween chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and Reese's Pieces, giving them a quick stir so they are evenly distributed. Gently stir or fold in 1 3/4 cups of the chips into the cookie batter, setting the remaining chips aside in reserve.

Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to form into balls. Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie, and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes, just until set. Do not overbake.

As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, press a few of the reserved chocolate and peanut butter chips into the top of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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