Halloween Candy Cookies

Last week I broke down and hired some help. Her name is Elvia, and she's available to play with Anne for up to 3 hours every day so that I can do things like work out, shower, and get dressed without a small person clinging to and climbing on me.



At least that's what it feels like. What I really did was join a gym that has childcare.



Now, I'm not going to jump to crazy conclusions (who, me?) and say that this is life-changing, but you guys... this might be life-changing. Last week I swam laps while Anne played. Today, I spent a half hour on the elliptical machine, reading a book. This is my kind of multitasking! It's amazing to have a reason to get out of the house (especially since winter has settled in a few weeks early this year), and I have the energy and time to do the things I need to do (things like craft make cookies clean the house) when Anne goes down for her nap.

Did I mention this is all for $40 PER MONTH?! I'm so excited.



Changing gears: I realize that I'm late in sharing this recipe. But here I go anyway. Better late than never! I bought a Costco-sized bag of Halloween candy, hoping for some trick-or-treaters. We got none. I ate a little of it, and then decided I either had to get creative with it or throw it away (never!). So I unwrapped it, chopped it all into pieces, and folded it into cookie dough. It is exactly as amazing as it sounds.

P.S. The irony of a post about joining a gym combined with a recipe for ridiculously decadent cookies is not lost on me.




Halloween Candy Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4+ cups leftover Halloween candy, chopped up

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well-combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix, scraping down the sides as needed. Dump in all the chopped up candy and fold in. Scoop onto cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Chow down!