Award-Winning Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

CSSI Staff Post - January 19, 2021

I feel like most households have a pantry shelf or cabinet of sweets, and there always seems to be some crummy candy in the back that nobody wants to eat. Well, back in 1949, my Great Aunt Laura had some mint chocolates sitting around that somehow all nine of her siblings didn't like. She decided to cleverly hide them inside of soft, buttery cookie dough, and then top it with a walnut half (so you couldn't tell that there was a surprise inside). The cookies were gobbled up, and the mint chocolates were no longer at risk for sitting on a shelf until they expired. Since they were such a hit, she decided to enter the “Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies” in the first ever Pillsbury Bake Off. She traveled to New York City’s Waldorf Astoria hotel to compete against 99 other finalists. Much to her surprise, she ended up winning first runner up, met Eleanor Roosevelt, and won $10,000!!! She went on to inspire me (and probably many others) to make a career out of cooking. She passed away in 2020 after 102 years, and left a legacy of butter, sugar, and chocolate mints. So, the next time you look at that package of old cookies in the back of your pantry, get creative! See what you can do with what you have and make it great!! You never know where you will end up.


Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies
Yield: 60 Cookies

Ingredients 

1 cup - granulated sugar 
1/2 cup - packed brown sugar 
3/4 cup - margarine, softened 
2 tablespoons - water 
1 teaspoon - vanilla
2 each - eggs
3 cups - all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon - baking soda
1/2 teaspoon - salt
60 - thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies (from three 4.67-oz packages), unwrapped (OR use variation described above)
60 - walnut halves or pieces

Directions

1. In large bowl, beat sugars, butter, water, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until blended. 

2. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours for easier handling.

3. Heat oven to 375°F. Using about 1 tablespoon dough, press dough around each chocolate candy to cover completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Top each with walnut half.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.
Lauren Kuhn
Culinary Center Manager

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