Double Chocolate Cereal Cookies (★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)

I don't know that I've ever related to a cookie more.

You see for the past month, I've been doing two people's jobs.  

Worn two (though similar) hats...

Tried to maintain the quality of my work along with the person's that I am covering for...

Dropping one to pick up the other...

And what does it result in?

Adequate performance.

Nothing crumbling to pieces.

Nothing amazingly praiseworthy.

Okay, enough of the business-y jargon,

Bascially, two people doing two jobs are better than one. 

And when thinking of how to describe these beauties, I couldn't help but notice the parallel.

These cookies, while salivating-ly gorgeous (am I right?!?), were trying too hard to be too many things to too many people.

And by no one's fault but my own.

It all started with a looming leftover box of Chex cereal from my Muddy Buddy Cookies.

Stupid Safeway, only had the ginormous box.

No one likes Chex that much.  

...it's not chocolate  

...there are no marshmallows  

...it's not chocolate 

...I didn't get the honey coated kind.  

...it's not...well, you know.              

[chocolate] couldn't help myself

Anyway, I bake too much to just throw stuff away.

Waste not, want not. 

So this remaining box of cereal just sat....for months...in my baking bin.

Until one fateful morning, when this morsel appeared in my inbox Chocolate Covered Cheerios.

How good do those sound????  And then the lightbulb  - *bling*

Chocolate covered Chex.

In a cookie.

A White Chocolate cookie.

With Chocolate Chips.

Ya, ya.  That sounds about right.

Only, it wasn't "about right."

It was "about" okay.

I was a little overzealous in my Chex adding.

Like, I just went for it.  

Waste not, want not remember?

And then my "white chocolate" batter just plain didn't work.

It should have dawned on me that this might be an issue when I couldn't find a recipe for white chocolate batter...anywhere...ever.  

I decided to melt white chocolate chips and add them to the batter.  

Easy, right?  

Only there is this interesting thing about chocolate chips - they don't like to be melted and runny...they like to be solid and together.  

So instead of white chocolate cookie dough, I had cookie dough with the tiniest, most minuscule white chocolate "flecks" splattered throughout.

I mean, these weren't terrible.

...But neither am I at juggling two jobs.

It's just, these weren't amazing...in fact, they were, dare I say, slightly disappointing.

...and well, I'm guessing you can fill in how I feel about the "job" part in this equation. 

So even though I'm about to spend a good chunk of time typing out the recipe below...I can't, in good conscience, rave and recommend making these.  At least, not without some tweaks.  

Like maybe only putting a cup of crunchy cereal...you know, instead of three.

And if that doesn't appeal to you - there are pictures.

Double Chocolate Cereal Cookies
[i.e. White Chocolate Cookie Dough, Chocolate Drizzled Chex, White and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips]
adapted and inspired by The Better Crumb & Cookies and Cups

• 1 Cup Chex Cereal
• 1 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Saving 1/2 Cup for later)
• 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 12 oz Bag White Chocolate Chips (Saving 1/2 Cup for later)
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat Oven to 325F Degrees
Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

Makes Approximately 20 Cookies

How to Make Chocolate Drizzle
1) Melt 1 Cup of Chocolate Chips in a microwave safe bowl, or a double boiler.  Let cool to almost
    room temperature. (The chocolate will be very hot and may burn you or melt the plastic bag we are
    going to place it in).
2) Once cooled, place melted chocolate into a ziploc bag.
TIP: I like to flip the bag inside out, pile the chocolate on the "inside" part of the bag, then flip it back
         right-ways in.
3) Just slip your hand into the middle of the bag while inside-out, cradle the chocolate with your hand
    and carefully pull the sides of the bag around it until the chocolate is now on the inside.  I do this to
    help keep the chocolate in one general area instead of sloppily spooned all over the bag.
4) Press all of the chocolate into one corner, twisting the top of the bag until a little "triangle" of
    chocolate is formed and packed.  Cut the tip of the corner with some scissors.  The smaller the
    opening the smaller the drizzle lines.
[NOTE]: After making these cookies, I found this "drizzle" step to be obsolete as the Chex just gets
               crumbled all to heck in the batter.  I'd skip this and save a good chunk of time.  Crushed
               Chex with white and semi-sweet chocolate chips is "chocolate covered" enough for me.  If  
               however, you want to take the time to hand dip each and every one...then more power to
               you.  Or, you can throw the Chex into a bowl with the melted chocolate and get them
               covered that way.  I recommend either of these options to the "drizzle."

5) If continuing on with the Chex drizzle: Lay out Chex flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment
    paper.  Drizzle chocolate over the tops.  Place in the fridge until chocolate sets and is firm to the
    touch.
6) In the meantime, you can start making the batter.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour, salt
    baking soda. Stir and set aside.
7) In a microwave safe bowl or double boiler melt white chocolate (set aside 1/2 cup of the chips for
    later). Let melted chocolate cool to almost room temperature. (We will be adding the butter next and
    we don't want it to melt).
8) Add cooled (but still melted) white chocolate to a medium sized bowl.  Add butter, cut into cubes.
    (This recipe doesn't call for softened butter so in order for it to mix well, it needs to be cut to a more
    manageable size).  Beat until combined and smooth.

9)   Add brown sugar, and combine.  

10) Next beat in the eggs, one at a time.

11) Add vanilla.  Next, add dry flour mixture a little bit at a time until thoroughly combined.

12) Here is where you add the Chex, and remaining 1/2 of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips that 

      you set aside.  I suggest adding the Chex 1st if you'd like them to be in smaller pieces, and 2nd if 

      you'd like them to be a little larger.  I added my 1st so I still had to add the chocolate chips.  By 

      the time I was done adding and mixing, I couldn't even see the Chex pieces anymore.  

13) Ideally, any batter will be chilled overnight, but if you don't have time it's not required here.  Place 

      heaping teaspoonfuls on a greased baking sheet and cook until "just done" - about 8-12 minutes. 

      Slightly golden and puffed, but not thoroughly set.  They will continue to cook on the baking sheet.  

      Leave on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack 

TIP: If you want to make these larger, you can.  I did for these pictures - and I liked them better that 

        way.  You will just have to adjust the time accordingly.  Also, because of the Chex, these cookies 

        don't spread well in baking, so you want to slightly flatten them out before baking - especially the 

        larger cookies.

Sure these "goodie goodies" didn't quite live up to their expectations,

But, in this case, I have to say:

Some cookies

Are better than none cookies at all.