Churro Cookies
I'm really excited to be teaming up with Food Stirs to bring you new and easy recipes using their organic baking mixes and kits. I first heard about Food Stirs while I was away on a work trip. As I was getting ready in my hotel room one morning, I had Rachel Ray on in the background. Her first guest that day happened to be Sarah Michelle Gellar, co-founder of Food Stirs. As she talked about the products and the quality of ingredients they use (the fact that everything is made with real ingredients, free of artificial preservatives, dyes and flavors), my interest was peaked and I wanted to test it out.
(I may be an advocate for baking from scratch, but I can totally appreciate the convenience and ease of boxed mixes - especially when baking with kids. I just want to make sure it tastes as good as something homemade!)
My Sweet Tooth Sugar Cookie Mix arrived in the mail just last week and I knew immediately that I wanted to turn it into a Churro Cookie, inspired by my Churro Cake. To give these cookies my own little twist, I added cinnamon to the ingredients called for on the box, as well as a cinnamon and brown sugar mixture in the center of the cookie and a little dip in cinnamon chip ganache at the end. (If you haven't had cinnamon chip ganache before, let me just say this, your world is about to change. You're welcome).
I love that the Food Stirs mix only has six ingredients in it and only calls for the addition of butter and an egg. Easy, peasy!
I've included a few pictures of some of the steps but make sure to check out the end of the post to see my full video tutorial.
These cookies are so tasty an you'd never know they were made using a boxed mix. Quality ingredients make all the difference!
Enjoy!
Churro Cookies
Yield: about 18
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 12-14 minutes
Ingredients
Cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 extra large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1 package Food Stirs Organic Sweet Tooth Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Cinnamon Chip Ganache
1 cup cinnamon baking chips, such as Hershey's
1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the butter until cream and smooth. Add the egg and continue to beat until well blended.
2. With the mixer on low, slowing add the cookie mix and one teaspoon cinnamon. The mixture will resemble wet sand. Form the crumbs into a large ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the wrapped dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
3. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Combine the brown sugar and remaining one teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Unwrap the dough and form teaspoon-size balls using a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon. Once all the dough is formed into balls, press your thumb into one side of the cookie dough ball to form a well. Fill it with about 1/4 teaspoon of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Set aside.
6. Take another cookie dough ball, make another small well with your thumb and fill it with a few cinnamon chips.
7. Press the two cookie dough halves together and pinch the seams of the dough together to lock in the fillings. Gently form a ball shape again by rolling the dough in your hands. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
8 Once all the cookies are formed, roll each one in the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, and then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake for 12-14 minutes. (I liked mine soft and will take them out of the oven when the cookies look slightly underdone - closer to 12 minutes. Remember, the cookies will continue to bake while cooking on the hot pan). Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
10. While the cookies are baking, make the cinnamon chip ganache by heating the cream in a microwave safe bowl for about 30-40 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the remaining cinnamon chips. Let sit for about five minutes and then stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
11. When the cookies are completely cooled, dip each cookie about half way into the cinnamon chip ganache, Place the finished cookies on parchment paper to set.