Monday, July 15, 2013

Movie Cookies

These cookies began as a complete replica of Joy The Baker’s Buttered Popcorn and Chocolate Chip Cookies, recipe available here at http://joythebaker.com/2013/04/buttered-popcorn-chocolate-chip-cookies/
But then my very wise cousin Lucie Arlington brought to my attention one day, how much better popcorn and malteser cookies would be, as popcorn and maltesers are one of my favourite things to eat at the movies, why not combine them in a cookie?
The result - the movie cookie.

Read it and weep my friends. Then go make them, because they’re awesome.



Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 packet microwave buttered and salted popcorn
  • Maltesers – as many as you like
  • Pink salt or sea salt for sprinkling


Method

  1. For the popcorn - place packet of microwavable popcorn in microwave – follow the instructions on the back of the packet. When finished, allow popcorn to cool. You’ll have about 4 cups of popcorn, however about 2 cups of this you will have shoved down your gob while preparing the dough…or maybe that’s just me… 
  2. Next - place oven racks in the centre and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside. 
  3. For the dough - in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (alternatively can use hand held electric whisks), cream together butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar.  Cream until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla extract for one more minute.  
  5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until just combined.  
  6. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a spatula to fold in the popcorn.  It might seem like a disproportionate amount of popcorn considering the cookie batter.  Keep folding.  The popcorn will break down a bit as it’s folded in.  Be patient with this step as it can be a bit tedious.
  7. Next mix through the maltesers. 
  8. Scoop dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, again this can be a bit tedious as it will seem like a disproportionate amount of cookie dough for the popcorn and maltesers, but be patient. Also – if you shoved in half the popcorn while baking, that will make this step that little bit easier!
  9. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the pink salt or sea salt (this is an optional step but I love salt on sweet baked goods so I highly recommend)
  10.  Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden brown.  
  11.  Remove from the oven; allow to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
  12. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, they can last for several days, but will likely be eaten by this time :)