Zara’s Secret Pillow Cookies

A few months ago, I had a cookie decorating party for my friend Sheri’s 12-year-old daughter Zara.  The party was great and the kids made some really fantastic cookies.  I love these parties because I get to show how fun it is to decorate cookies. Kids are excellent at experimenting with techniques and colour so while the teaching is what I really enjoy, I also love that I always learn something from them. So when Sheri told me that Zara wanted to come over bake with me and show me her a Rolo Cookie recipe, I was so excited.  I mean, who wouldn’t be excited to 1. bake with Zara, and 2. bake with Rolos?  Both are awesome.  Zara is really smart, into a million things like dance and baking, little kids and comes with her hilarious brother Jorey.  Rolos are pretty fantastic too -- “chewy caramels in milk chocolate” -- does it get ANY better?  I think not.  And, the whole combo of Zara, Jorey & Rolos (plus Sheri) just means a great time, and the cookies came out super yummy too.  Here is how we made them.  Zara -- thanks so much for sharing!

Cookies the Girls Made

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2¼ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

4 52g packages of Rolos (40 pieces) – maybe 5 packages in case of any smooshed Rolos

crystal sugar for rolling the cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350⁰.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars (brown and white) until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add in flour and baking soda until well blended.

Take about one large tablespoon of dough and form into a cup.

Fit Rolo into centre and shape dough around chocolate.

Roll in sugar (we used crystal sugar) and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake in middle of oven for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies flatten and tops are golden.

Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 36 to 40 cookies.

Truth is the cookies can be filled with just about anything – a Hershey’s Kiss, Hershey’s Bliss Square, a piece of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup… the cookie is a pillow cookie that you can add in your own surprise.  So I have called them Secret Pillow Cookies.  If you make them, let us all know your secret filling.