Double Chocolate Cookies with Cadbury Eggs

I don’t like very many packaged chocolate candies because I think they are all kinda waxy and flavorless, but there is a very special place in my heart for milk chocolate mini Cadbury eggs. Every Spring I buy a couple of bags from the drugstore, but they never last very long…The shell is so thin and crisp, the chocolate isn’t horrible, they are pastel and speckly, and once the bag is open I can’t stop eating them.

They are also incredibly delicious, and adorable baked into cookies. I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten as many comments as I did on the photo of these cookies I posted on Instagram today. So, I am here, giving the fair people of Instagram their cookies! You could really sub Cadbury eggs in just about any cookie recipe that calls for chocolatey mix-ins, but they are super tasty in these chocolaty cookies. I bet they would be great in brownies or blondies too…

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CADBURY EGG COOKIES

adapted from ambitiouskitchen.com

makes about 3 dozen.

I’m a milk chocolate fan so that’s what I used here, you could surely use the Royal Dark Mini Cadbury eggs in these cookies or a combo of milk and dark or 1/2 chocolate chips and half eggs. Be free!

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

15 ounces Cadbury eggs (from 2, 10oz bags)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder together.

Chop 1/2 of the Cadbury eggs into smallish pieces, rough quarters is about right. Some of the shells will fall off, don't worry about it.

In a large bowl whisk the butter and brown sugar together until smooth, add the eggs one at a time and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla.

Stir in the flour mixture followed by the chopped Cadbury eggs. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon sized balls and place them 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a couple of whole Cadbury eggs into the surface of each dough ball.

Bake until just set, about 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Repeat until all of the dough is used.

Caramel Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca pudding is one of those old fashioned foods that I LOVE. Gimme your prunes, bran muffins, pineapple upside down cakes with neon maraschino cherries, jello I love them all. I think one of the first things I ever “cooked” was jello instant pudding. I loved the magic that happened when milk and powder was whisked together and chilled. Magic. While instant jello pudding still has it’s appeal, homemade pudding is almost as easy. All you need is a bit of milk, sugar, thickener, and flavorings. This version is a bit grown up, thanks to the extra step of caramelizing the sugar before adding the rest of the ingredients. I like to eat it a bit warm, with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on top.

p.s. We released the trailer for my book last week, if you haven’t seen it, please check it out!

Caramel Tapioca Pudding

Serves 6-8

4 cups whole milk, divided

1/3 cup small tapioca pearls

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

unsweetened whipped cream, to serve

Combine one cup of the milk and the tapioca pearls in a bowl. Let sit for 1 hour.

When you are ready to cook the rest of the pudding. Add the sugar to a dry, heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook the sugar over medium heat, until it is melted and deep amber in color. Stir occasionally if the sugar isn’t browning evenly in the pan.

Gradually and carefully stir in the remaining milk, it will bubble and spit, while whisking constantly. Stir until the sugar is completely melted into the sugar. Then add the soaked tapioca.

Simmer the mixture, stirring often, until the tapioca is cooked through and translucent.  In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with a splash of water, then whisk it along with the salt into the pudding. Stir constantly until the mixture has thickened and the cornstarch is cooked, another couple of minutes.

Serve slightly warm, or chilled with dollops of unsweetened whipped cream.