Buttery Baby Ruth Cookies

Think of these as old-school candy bar pies in cookie form. A simple shortbread-style dough made with butter, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla and flour gets chilled until firm, then rolled and cut into two sizes of rounds. The smaller round goes on the baking sheet first. A slice of Baby Ruth lands on top, then the larger round caps it like a tiny pie crust. Press the edges together to seal in the candy and bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 12 minutes. The magic happens inside the cookie. The peanuts, caramel and chocolate from the candy bar melt into a soft, gooey center that stays warm long after the cookies come out of the oven. Powdered sugar in the dough (instead of granulated) is what keeps the cookie tender and slightly cakey, perfect for cradling that molten center.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the hour of chilling. Warm dough tears when you cut it and won’t seal properly around the candy.
• Press the edges firmly with the tines of a fork, like a hand pie. A weak seal lets caramel ooze out and burn on the pan.
• Keep the candy bar slices small and centered. Too much filling pushes through the top during baking.
• Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving. The molten caramel inside needs time to set or you’ll have a sticky mess.

Variations

• Swap Baby Ruth for Snickers, Milky Way, or Twix slices. Match the bake time and candy size for each.
• Roll the edges of the chilled dough rounds in finely chopped peanuts before sandwiching for extra crunch.
• Drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate and a pinch of flaky salt for a finished bakery look.