Rolo Cookies

**Update 11/26/12:  So I have made these about…. 12 times over and they worked perfectly every time until now.  Either Rolo has changed their formula (some companies do because of allergy requirements or to remove trans fats as the Nabisco company did for the Oreo), or the changes I did made a big difference:  I froze the rolos instead of refrigerating them and I weighed my ingredients instead of scooping like I used to.  This recipe was not developed with weights, and maybe that’s it.  I’m not sure.  They still taste great though!  Just had oozers.**

**Update 12/12/2014:  Rolos must have changed.  The color and texture of the candy has changed AND they don’t sell them in 13 ounce packages anymore.  The package is now 11 ounces, but you pay the same price.  This decreases the yield of this recipe and you have leftover cookie dough which I just form into regular cookies.

These cookies have been a staple for about ten years or so.  They originated from a Quick Cooking or Taste of Home magazine that I used to receive back in the day before the internet exploded and that was the best place to get recipes.  Aside from my shortbread (that’s another blog post (tee hee Alton Brown reference)), these are one of the top requested cookies I make each year.

The cookie part is mostly chewy  and a tad crisp on the outside.  Don’t skip the white chocolate topping when giving out to people – it really makes these cookies stand out.

Rolo Cookies
yield just over 4 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup + 1 Tb. sugar, divided
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, divided
1 package Rolos (11 or 13 ounces), unwrapped
1/4 cup white chocolate chips or almond bark

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and scrape the bowl to combine.  Add vanilla and combine.
2.  In a medium size bowl, whisk together the dry stuff:  flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
3.  Add dry stuff to wet stuff a little at a time.  The batter will get VERY thick.  I have to use my Kitchenaid mixer because the hand mixer can’t handle the cookie dough.   Mix until just combined.
4.  Stir in 3/4 cup nuts using the mixer.  Cover and chill the dough for about an hour.
5.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix the 1 Tb of sugar and 1/4 cup chopped nuts.  Using a small cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into balls (about 1″).  Roll the dough ball around the Rolo.  Dip into the nuts/sugar mixture.  Place on the cookie sheet 1″ apart.
6.  Bake for 7 minutes.  The tops will just begin to crack.
7.  Once the cookies have cooled, melt the white chocolate.  I put mine into a ziplock sandwich bag and cut the tip off. Drizzle on cookies.  Hand out to friends or freeze up to 1 month.