Spooky Chocolate Chip Cookies
Utterly fun and so easy to make, perfect for a festive treat that involves no fuss or special equipment. Press candy eyes and Halloween-themed sprinkles into your favorite cookie base -- ours is included in the recipe here -- and watch the eyes light up with smiles.
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (10 5/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons (3/4 cup, 6 oz.) unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup (7 oz.) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/2 cup Halloween-themed sprinkles
- candy eyes large, small, or a mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients and mix at low speed just until dough is evenly combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips and about half of the sprinkles.
- Portion out a large scoop of dough. (You can either use a large, 3 tablespoon dough scoop to make heaping mounds, or scantly fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup.) Roll into a ball. Hold the ball in the fingertips of both hands, and twist to pull it apart into two roughly equal halves. Place the halves onto the cookie sheet, jagged surface facing up, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.
- Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 12-14 minutes, just until the cookies are light golden brown with slightly hardened edges and soft, puffy centers. You want to remove them just before they look completely done, so the inside stays very tender.
- Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, press candy eyes into each one. You can give each cookie two eyes, some three, others one, etc. -- get creative and have fun. Add the remaining sprinkles to the tops of the cookies, as well, pressing very gently if needed to adhere.
- Cool cookies on baking sheets for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!
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Notes
- Important! It is absolutely necessary to press the candy eyes into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven, otherwise they won't stick. Be ready to go with the eyes and the remaining sprinkles in a small dish right next to the stove so you can get right to work (and don't get distracted -- speaking from experience here! :)
- Freezing Dough Balls: After pulling apart, the balls of cookie dough can be flash frozen to bake later at your convenience. First lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate, being sure they do not touch, and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Once the dough balls are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag or other storage container (they can touch at this point). When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on lined cookie sheets and bake as directed above, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 215 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 17 mg, Sodium: 73 mg, Potassium: 91 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 17 g, Vitamin A: 190 IU, Calcium: 18 mg, Iron: 1 mg