I have a confession. for the last three years I have attempted to make a cute, "easter themed" treat. without fail something goes wrong. mostly the treats don't turn out very cute (although very tasty). as a food blogger, its a big deal for the food to look as good as it tastes. this year, I am so happy to FINALLY have a cute, themed treat on the blog. these mini egg cookies are inspired by my love of Levain Bakery's famous cookies.
I love those cookies so much, I already have a tahini and halva version on the blog! for this version, I wanted to make them smaller and more small batch. to make them more "spring like," i added pastel candy and white chocolate. the results are a deliciously buttery cookie that's like a cross between sugar cookie and chocolate chip cookie! YUM.
these cookies are best described as...
- buttery
- toasted exterior
- cake like interior
- sweet
- hints of crunchy candy shells
- solid
- this recipe yields 8 (3oz) cookies
- its slightly bigger than a normal cookie
- while keeping that famous levain texture!
- like a fabulously buttery sugar cookie!
- endlessly customizable
what do I need to make these mini egg cookies?
- cake flour
- see recipe notes section or read on to diy this
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- corn starch
- this helps with the cake like interior texture
- if you HAVE to omit, its okay if you're using cake flour
- if not, its a good idea to use this
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- these extracts are a flavor addition that is not added in levain cookies
- I love these two extracts for cookies that trend towards sugar cookie in flavor
- good quality white chocolate bar
- I like this brand for baking
- mini candy eggs
- or other pastel colored candies
do I need any special baking tools?
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- or hand held mixer with beaters and a large mixing bowl
- plastic wrap
- to keep the cookies covered while they chill
- large cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop out the cookies
- a food scale
- of all the tools for these cookies, this is the most helpful!
- sharp knife and cutting board for chopping the chocolate and candy
- large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cooling rack
diy cake flour
cake flour is important to get the right texture for these mini egg cookies. if you don't have cake flour or can't find any in the grocery store, this is a quick diy version for you!
- to make this version, you will need all purpose flour and cornstarch
- measure out 1 c all purpose flour (by weight or the spoon scoop method)
- remove 2 tablespoon (15g) flour
- replace with 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- sift the mixture together 4-5 times
- you now have an approximate cup of cake flour
- measure out ⅔ c (80g) and follow the recipe as written
tips and tricks for the perfect mini egg cookie
- frequently scrape down the bowl and paddle when mixing the butter
- I recommend setting the butter out for 10-15 minutes before starting the recipe
- it should still be cold
- take your time when mixing the sugars and butter
- its best not to over mix
- so stop to scrape down the bowl as needed
- do slow to medium speed
- chill the cookie dough
- this helps with the chewy texture
- let the dough sit at room temperature about 10 minutes before scooping and baking
- use a food scale to get even cookies
- or use a ⅓ c measuring cup
- measure out 8 balls that are roughly the same size
- fully preheat the oven to 410F/ 210C
- for most ovens this takes about 20-25 minutes
- reserve about ⅓ of the candy and chocolate for topping the cookies
- the extra, whole eggs will go on top of the cookies before baking
- the white chocolate will be added as soon as the cookies come out of the oven
- cool the cookies ON the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes
- then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling
- this allows the cookies to finish baking without burning in the oven
- feel free to substitute the candy eggs for any pastel color candy
- use milk or even dark chocolate in place of the white... its up to you!
more cookies to love!
- chewy carrot cake cookies
- bourbon toffee chocolate chip cookies
- Meyer lemon sugar cookies
- blood orange cookie bars
mini egg cookies
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters
- plastic wrap for covering cookies
- large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- food scale optional, but recommended
- large cookie scoop or large spoon
Ingredients
- ⅔ c (80g) cake flour see notes
- 1 c (120g) all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ c (113g) unsalted butter, cold set out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften a little
- ½ c (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ c (50g) light brown sugar
- 1 large (57g) egg, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 4 oz. (113g) white chocolate bar, chopped into evenly sized pieces reserve ⅓ of the bar for topping the cookies
- 1 c mini candy eggs, coarsely chopped reserve ¼ - ⅓ c for topping cookies. these should be left whole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift together the flours, cornstartch, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- On low speed, increasing to medium speed, cream together the cold butter, brown and granulated sugars together until creamy. You may need to frequently stop to scrape down the bowl and paddle.
- Add egg, and extracts one at a time, beating about 20 seconds before adding the next.
- By hand or on the lowest setting of your mixer ( i prefer by hand), sitr in the dry ingredients ⅓ at a time. Leaving some flour streaks before adding the next ⅓. When the last ⅓ dry has been added to the wet, fold the ⅔ c - ¾ c chopped candy eggs and chopped white chocolate. Fold unitl the dough is combined with no visible streaks of flour. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Grab a food scale or a measuring cup. These cookies need to be measured out to 3oz. each. Measure out (4) 3oz. cookies to start. The rest of the dough can go back in the fridge while the other cookies bake. Place each 3oz. cookie at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Place into a fully preheated 410 F oven. Bake for 9-10 minutes. The edges should be set, the top of the cookie should be golden, but not burned. The middle will be slighly underbaked. The cookie will continue to "bake" on the baking sheet once removed from the oven.
- Remove cookies and leave on the hot baking sheet set on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes. As soon as the baking sheet is on the cooling rack, add pieces of chopped white chocolate to the top of the cookie. Gently press down into the top of the cookie. The heat from the "fresh from the oven" cookie will melt the white chocolate into a lovely pool. This should be done within the first 5 minutes of the cookies coming out of the oven.Once the cookies are ready, remove from the baking sheet and cool completely on a cooling rack. While the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet (right from the oven), pull out the cookies chilling in the fridge. Meaning, pull the second batch from the fridge about 10 minutes before you plan to bake them.
Notes
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
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