Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
Originally uploaded by watchjennybake.

March is Foodie Lit Madness! This week's featured author is Joanne Fluke, who writes the Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is the first of the series, and features Hannah Swensen, baker and amateur detective, who tries to figure out who killed her milk delivery man.

This book is the first of nine (so far) and each features a different type of baked good! There are seven cookie recipes in this one, sprinkled throughout the book as the recipes are mentioned. It took a long time to decide on one, but ultimately I picked this recipe because it went with the book title (but I reserve the right to make the chocolate covered cherry cookies that sound SOOOO good)!! I love how the recipes interact with the story. It made me feel like I was participating too!

I contacted the author, who graciously gave her permission to post a recipe in this blog. Thanks, Ms. Fluke!

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 beaten eggs (you can beat them up with a fork)
2 1/2 cups flour (not sifted)
2 cups crunched corn flakes (just crunch them with your hands)
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Melt the butter, add the sugars and stir. Add soda, salt, vanilla, and beaten eggs. Mix well. Then add flour and stir it in. Add crushed corn flakes and chocolate chips and mix it all in thoroughly.

Form dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers, and place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Press them down with a floured fork in a crisscross pattern.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack until they are completely cool. (The rack is important - it makes them crisp).

According to the story, these cookies are a favorite of Andrea's, Hannah's sister.

I was giggling as I typed up this recipe, because I completely skipped flattening out the dough before baking, which explains why I had to bake mine 2-3 extra minutes. I also didn't have cornflakes on hand, so I used Post Great Grains cereal. Probably any crunchy cereal will do, but I actually liked using this one - it had flakes, granola, and pecans in it. I ended up giving up and mixing in the cereal and chocolate chips with my hands.

I love the taste and texture of these cookies. I have a tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe, but this was a nice change with the crunchy elements and sweeter taste. I wasn't sure if the recipes would actually be any good, since this isn't really a cookbook - I was perfectly prepared for them to be sheer novelty but not quality, but I was happily mistaken! Now I'm excited to buy the rest of the series (I only have Strawberry Shortcake Murder) and try more of the recipes!

Categories: Chocolate, Cookies, Foodie Lit