Chewy cookies are the best, yes I said it, they are the very best and these chocolate cookies are the chewiest. They are also extremely versatile, which is why I will be showing you all my favorite three ways to make these, and they all start with the same easy chocolate cookie base.
Chocolate Cookie - 3 Ways
Basic Chocolate Cookie
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1 - Box of Devils Food Cake Mix
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1/2 cup - Vegetable Oil
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2 - Large Eggs
The Extras
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12 - Andes Mints (unwrapped)
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1 cup - Powdered Sugar
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1/2 cup - Chopped Walnuts
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1/2 cup - Granulated Sugar
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12 - Rolos (unwrapped)
That's it! Those three ingredients is all you need for a basic and extremely chewy chocolate cookie, but that's not where we call it quits. I have three different ways to prepare these and they are all quick, easy and scrumptious.
Each version has the same baking temperature and time. The only thing that varies are the ingredients. Let's start by preheating the oven to 350° and lining our cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, for easy clean up. This step also keeps your cookie sheets in perfect condition.
First, we will make the Mint Chocolate Cookie, so grab a box of Andes Mints and start unwrapping them. Each batch of dough will make about 3 dozen cookies, so I tend to make 12 of each type. To make the dough, just add the cake mix, oil and eggs then mix until just combined. The dough will feel a little oily, this is normal. Now scoop about one tablespoon of dough into your hand and roll into a ball, place dough balls on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. The cookies will still look under cooked when they are removed from the oven, this is also normal. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place one Andes Mint atop each cookie. Let sit for 2-3 minutes or until the candy has melted. Once the Andes Mint is gooey, use a spoon the swirl it around and cover the top of the cookie like icing. The green color from the mint will come through and appear swirly on the cookie. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow to cool thoroughly. The candy should harden again on top, and create an amazing little crunch when you bite into the fudgy cookie, then melt in your mouth in true Andes Mint fashion.
Second, we will be making a classic Chocolate Crackle Cookie. These are so pretty, and so simple. All you need for this version is 1/3 of the chocolate dough we made above and 1 cup of powdered sugar. The powdered sugar you will put in a bowl and set aside temporarily. Now we re going to grab about a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball again, but this time we will roll the dough in the powdered sugar generously covering the outside until the cookie is fully coated and appears white. Place the dough on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, as we did before and bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. The cookies should have a cracking effect, from the dough spreading while it bakes. Remove cookies from the oven, and allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool on rack for at least 10 minutes before eating, if you can wait!
The third and last cookie is my favorite, but don't tell the other two! For this last cookie, start by unwrapping 12 Rolos. Now mix the sugar and walnuts together in a bowl and set aside. Again, we will be using the last 1/3 of the chocolate cookie dough and rolling the dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls. This time however, we are going to stuff a Rolo into the center of the dough, and bring the dough up to completely cover the Rolo. Make sure none of the candy is showing through, this will cause a leak in your cookie, and we want all of that goodness staying inside! Once the dough is stuffed with caramel, roll the cookie in the walnut and sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Broken record warning, bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes then remove from oven. Leave on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing. Line your cooking rack with parchment paper, then place the cookies on this to cool. The parchment paper keeps the caramel filling from dripping out of the bottom of the cookie. Don't skip this step...I learned the hard way. When you bite into this, you will understand why it's my favorite of the three. The center caramel stays ooey gooey, and the walnuts add the perfect crunch. It's heaven.
Well, that's it you guys! A chewy chocolate cookie three simple ways, three for one special today! The cheer has gotten to me and I'm feeling so generous. Hope you enjoy these and try each version, or better yet, I hope you all get creative and try new ways to make them special and unique! Thanks for baking with me! Happy Holidays!
Ashley Tuttle
