secret recipe no more

About five and a half years ago, shortly after I moved into my new apartment complex at the beginning of my junior year at BYU, an apartment of boys, in an obvious attempt to make themselves known to the girls, knocked on our door to borrow a baking sheet so that they could make some cookies. (I imagine that they had nothing for said cookies except an oven and the flirtatious idea to beg the other necessary tools and ingredients from the apartments of just-moved-in girls in exchange for a taste of their freshly baked goods.)

A few hours after we lent out our cookie sheet, the boys came back to return it and to pay us with the fruits of their baking labors. The cookies they made were surprisingly delicious: a simple looking chocolate cookie on the outside with warm, melted caramel on the inside. We complimented them on a job well done and asked if they'd share the recipe. Flirtatious as ever, we were told, nope, it was a secret recipe.

In the years since I've thought back fondly on those cookies because, to be honest, they were heavenly. After some conversations with friends, as well as a few online searches of my own, I am most pleased to report that their recipe is a secret no longer. I found a recipe that seemed pretty close the other night, and this afternoon, after altering it slightly, I successfully baked (and now you can, too)...

Rolo Cookies
(or, as it was in my case, Leftover Christmas Caramel-Filled Hershey's Kisses Cookies)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
48 Rolos (or another caramel-filled milk chocolate candy), unwrapped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; blend well. In a large bowl, cream sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. With lightly floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon of dough around 1 Rolo, covering completely; repeat for each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes, then remove from cookie sheet to cool on wire rack.

Yum yum....sweet chocolately caramely goodness.