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Got Easter Candy? Make Easter Candy Cookies! This version takes the famous Jacques Torres recipe from the New York Times and swaps out the fancy chocolate for dark chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs before stuffing with Peeps. The result is a glorious, gooey mess, but with the sea salt and a dough that chills for a day to allow the flavors develop, perfectly suitable for adults.

Another installment of my amateur food video series, this one may or may not have been created after eating a few Peeps.

You bet your Easter bonnet I want Easter candy

“AUNTIE SARA!” my nephew bellowed in an Easter greeting when he was about four, “DO YOU WANT TO EAT CANDY?!”

You bet your Easter bonnet I did. And I came prepared as any good member of the Sugar Club would.

Under the slightest of pretenses of the candy being “for the kids,” I had brought a bag of goodies—Cadbury Crème Eggs, Mini Eggs, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, and, of course, Peeps. I always bring Peeps.

I love Peeps.

Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this in polite society, but the sweet tooth wants what the sweet tooth wants.

Generally I’m a Peeps purist, just eating the adorable little marshmallow confections coated in technicolor sugar until I feel a little woozy.

Ingredients for Easter Candy Cookies
Meet Petunia, our guide for creating Easter Candy Cookies

A famous recipe, adapted with Peeps

This year, though, I thought it would be fun to make cookies, perhaps because I’m a bit embarrassed to have so many packages when I’m spending Easter by myself. I used the Jacques Torres recipe from the New York Times, replacing the bittersweet chocolate fèves with dark chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs, and then stuffing the cookies with Peeps. The result is an ooey-gooey glorious mess of a cookie.

The Jacques Torres recipe makes one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted. About ten years ago I made these for a party, and one of my friends has never stopped talking about them. He has even tasked me with teaching his daughter about salt on chocolate chip cookies when she’s old enough.

Other chocolate chip cookie recipes will certainly work to make Easter Candy Cookies, but you do want to make sure that you choose one that will have a bit of loft to it. With cake flour and bread flour, this one has the perfect amount. 

Also, regardless of the recipe, do sprinkle a little flaky  sea salt on top. The Peeps make the cookies even chewier, and, provided that you use dark chocolate and add the salt, they will not be overpoweringly sweet.

I have written out a recipe, calling for a cookie dough of your choice, adapted to make an Easter Candy Cookie.

There’s also a video, starring a Peep named Petunia. The video may or may not have been fueled by Peeps. Peeps were most definitely harmed in the creation of this cinematic masterpiece of culinary filmmaking.

Easter Candy Cookies

Peeps Stuffed Easter Candy Cookies

Got Peeps? Use them to make these delicious, messy cookies.
Use a chocolate chip cookie recipe like this one from the New York Times, but swap out the fancy  fèves for Easter candy and then stuff with Peeps. You want a recipe that will make a lofty enough cookie to take being stuffed with Peeps. Definitely add the flaky sea salt.
I've included the rest time for chilling the cookie dough from the above recipe in the time calculation. See note for how this can be adjusted.
The video may or may not have been recorded after eating Peeps.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 18 mins
Cookie dough resting time 1 d
Total Time 1 d 33 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 cookies

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 batch chocolate chip cookie recipe Swap out the chocolate chips with Easter candy (below)
  • 1 pound Royal Dark Chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs, smashed a bit to form chunks, but leaving some intact You can use the classic milk chocolate ones, but you'll get really sweet cookies
  • 9 Peeps, cut in half

Instructions
 

  • Make the cookie dough according to the instructions, omitting the chocolate chips, and replacing them with the Cadbury Mini Eggs (see note)
  • Refrigerate the dough for a least a few hours (the recipe I used calls for 24-36 hours). See note
  • When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350 F
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment. I'm a single person with an apartment stove, so I use a quarter sheet pan and bake these off two at a time
  • Scoop out 3.5 ounces of dough per cookie, and cut it in half. Cut the Peeps in half. Flatten out the halves of the cookie dough a bit and add a half a Peep to the bottom. Enclose the Peep by placing the top part of the cookie and then rolling into a ball, sealing the edges as best as possible
  • Sprinkle the balls with flaky sea salt
  • Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Ten minutes in, rotate the pan to promote even cooking. The Peeps will likely leak through the dough. That's OK. Be careful not to overbake
  • Cool for about ten minutes on the pan, on a baking rack, and then transfer to the rack. Best eaten while still a warm and gooey mess

Video

Notes

You can use other candy, but I'd watch using something overly sweet with the Peeps.
The NYT recipe calls for chilling the dough for at least 24 hours and optimally for 36 hours. This is going to give you a fabulous cookie, but you can bake the cookies earlier. You do, however, need to chill the dough for at least a few hours to get it firm enough to be stuffed with the Peeps.
Once the dough has been in fridge for 36 hours, you can freeze it. Otherwise, use it within 72 hours.
Keyword Cadbury Mini Eggs, Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, Dark chocolate, Easter, Easter Candy, Easter Candy Cookies, Peeps
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!