Cookies are such a wonderful and easy treat…and when they’re perfectly fitting for the season I just can’t resist! A few weeks ago I shared an outdoor celebration to welcome fall. My family enjoyed the wonderful autumn weather and nibbled at a snack table while we waited for dinner to come off the grill! When we were finished with our meal I served up one of our most favorite treats of the season…Hoot Owl Cookies! I grew up nibbling on these sweets each fall and I’ve had so much fun baking them for my boys as they’ve grown! So today I’d love to share this delicious and whimsical cookie recipe…treat your peeps and maybe start a new tradition of whipping up a batch when the cool winds begin to blow! Whoooo’s ready for celebrating fall?
fun, fall cookies…”owl” bet you’ll love ’em!
what i love most about this cookie, besides its darling appearance, is that it’s not a super sweet morsel! just enough unsweetened chocolate in part of the batter keeps the sweetness factor down a bit, so if you love a cookie that doesn’t send you into a sugar coma (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) you’ll love these! print off the copy at the end of the post and get your family in the kitchen…they’ll love making them as much as eating them! here’s a simple tutorial for shaping the cookies…
roll the dough…
once you’ve mixed and separated the batters you’ll want to roll the two halves of the light dough out into rectangles that roughly measure 14-16″ x 4″…
roll the chocolate dough into a snake that fits the length of the lighter dough and place it in the center…
if the dough is too wide just press it in a bit so that you can bring up the sides and it will just mold around the chocolate dough. it should look like a tube when you’re finished.
repeat with the second batch and wrap them in foil and chill!
decorate & bake!
once the dough is chilled, slice it into pieces approximately 1/4″ thick…
to make the owl shape, place two slices together…(dampen the dough slightly where they touch)
pinch the corners for the “ears” and press the pieces together slightly. you can make different “eye” shapes depending on how you place the slices. play around and find what you love the best!
add the eyes and a cashew for the beak! pop your owls in the oven and wait for the sweet treat!
surprise your family and friends with this cute & delicious fall inspired cookie!
enjoy!
- 3/4 Cup butter
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 Cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate melted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- chocolate chips for decorating
- whole cashews for decorating
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- In a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate and let cool slightly. Mix in the baking soda.
- Remove 2/3 of the cookie dough to a floured surface. Blend the chocolate and soda mixture into the remaining 1/3 of the dough.
- Roll out 1/2 of the light dough into a 16" x 4" strip. Shape 1/2 of the chocolate dough into a 16" long snake and place in the center of the light dough. Mold the light dough around the chocolate and wrap in foil. Repeat with the remaining dough and chill for 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Cut the dough into slices approximately 1/4" thick. Put two slices together (dampen the touching edges). Pinch the corners to create "ears". Place two chocolate chips in the center of the dark dough to create eyes and a whole cashew in the center for the beak.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until edges are very slightly browned. Check often. Cool completely and store in airtight container.
Brenda
October 13
I’m so making these to surprise my girls (gluten free version). This is so cute. They love owls. What a cute cookie!!!
Lori
October 15
It’s such a fun recipe to make with kids! I hope the girls love them!!
Beth
October 14
I know some children who will be excited to make these this weekend! Never seen this before. Thanks for posting!
Lori
October 15
Yay! I think it’s such a fun cookie to make with kids! We still love making them and since they’re not too sweet the adults love them too! Have fun!
Anonymous
October 14
So cute !!! They look so fun to make
Lori
October 15
Aww, thank you! They’re really fun to make…and eat!