Sugar High Fridays #23: The Surprise Inside

I am so excited to be a part of the 23rd edition of Sugar High Fridays, a food blogging event I came across while exploring various links and sites late one night. It is the brain child of the Domestic Goddess and each month the recipe round-up has a different theme. The themes have ranged from canning to white chocolate to dairy and each is hosted by a different food blog. This month, Alanna at A Veggie Venture is rounding up all the participants. You can check out everyone's submissions here around September 23rd.

At first I was at a loss as to what I would make for this month's theme. What jumped to my mind first was a warm truffle cake, mainly because I had to make them for months and months at a restaurant I worked at in the Bay Area. But that seemed too obvious an answer. Then it came to me, I would make the recipe I have for Rolo Cookies! Everyone loves them and they are always surprised by the nugget of caramel inside. Unfortunately, I do not know the true origin of this recipe. I have never come across anyone else who made them, but after doing a little searching on Google, I found multiple links to very similar recipes. Mine came to my mother through a woman she knew from work years and years ago. The hardest part is not eating all the Rolos as you unwrap them so that you have enough for the cookie dough!

Rolo Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter, soft
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 bag Rolos (unwrapped!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bow combine flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl beat sugars and butter. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture and then pecans, if using. Shape 1 tablespoon dough around one Rolo for each cookie.

Place 2" apart on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 7-10 minutes until just firm. Careful, they burn easily! Cool 2 minutes and remove from sheet to cool completely.

NYC Tart