These Extra Chocolatey Cookies Taste Just Like My Favorite Little Debbie Treat

In the description for her Cosmic Cookies in her inaugural cookbook, Sweet Tooth (that comes out today!), Sarah Fennel retells a nostalgic story about the coveted status of Cosmic Brownies in her elementary school cafeteria, where she would trade her homemade treats for the iconic fudgy brownies. I laughed reading it, feeling a bit nostalgic — not just for the taste of the brownies, but also because I would’ve traded my entire lunch box and then some for a Cosmic Brownie.

There’s something about the rich, chocolaty brownie squares that have a texture closer to Play-Doh than fudge, but are sweet enough that it doesn’t matter. AND THOSE SPRINKLES! Sometimes I’d eat all around the candy bits of the brownie to save that crunchy bite for last. Cosmic Brownies clearly evoke a lot of nostalgia, so when I saw Sarah’s recipe for Cosmic Cookies (yes, cookies!), I knew I had to try the recipe out for myself. (Spoiler alert: They’re great!)

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What Makes These Cosmic Cookies So Good

• They’re so nostalgic! These cookies are chocolaty, fudgy, and the best of what I remember from my favorite childhood dessert.

• The ganache is so easy to make. The rich, velvety ganache comes together in just a few minutes in the microwave rather than using a stovetop.

How to Make Cosmic Cookies

1. Beat the wet ingredients. In a stand (or hand) mixer, add the unsalted butter and light brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high until combined.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until completely combined.

3. Scoop the dough. Use a cookie scoop for even portions of dough and roll with hands to smooth the edges.

4. Bake the cookies. At 350°F, bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes until they slightly puff in the center. Let cool for at least half an hour.

5. Make the ganache. Heat heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl and then add chocolate chips to combine. Mix the two until it becomes a velvety-smooth consistency.

6. Put it all together! Once the cookies are cooled, add roughly a tablespoon of ganache to each cookie and smooth over like a frosting. Sprinkle with your candy-coated chocolate chips and enjoy!

My Honest Review of Sweet Tooth’s Cosmic Cookies

I’m a big fan of the O.G. Cosmic Brownies, so going into this recipe I knew that it would take a lot to impress me. But after making them myself, consider me thoroughly impressed. They’re soft, rich (but not too rich), sweet, and have a lot of awesome texture going on from the chewy cookie base, the velvety-smooth ganache, and those crunchy sprinkles (which I did order from Amazon to get them just right).

The recipe worked as instructed, although I did double the batch because I knew my friends wouldn’t want to stop after just a dozen (if you opt to double the recipe, the ganache makes enough for 24 cookies so you won’t have to double that part of the recipe). Although, cooking both trays of cookies in the oven at the same time meant that the ones at the top cracked slightly, whereas the ones on the bottom stayed whole. Next time I make these (because there will be another time!), I’ll just do them in batches or swap them midway through so they’re more uniform.

I wasn’t the only fan of them; I sent the bat signal up to my friends (text message in our GC) a photo of these cookies, and within half an hour I had six friends in my tiny kitchen fawning over these ridiculously good cookies. They’re like a better, more refined version of the classic Cosmic Brownies that we all deserve in our life.

Cosmic Cookies Recipe

They taste like childhood.

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 12 minutes

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the ganache:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

• Rainbow candy-coated chocolate chips (or M&M’s in a pinch!)

Instructions

1. First, make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes.

4. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.

5. Use a 1 1/2-ounce cookie scoop to portion out equal amounts of dough (a large spoon also works; the ball should be about 3 tablespoons). Roll the dough in your hands to smooth the edges, then place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.

6. Bake until the cookies have puffed up and are set and firm around the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, 11 to 12 minutes. Remove the sheet pans from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheet pans for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 25 minutes more.

7. Once the cookies have cooled, make the ganache. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the cream. Microwave until the cream is hot to the touch but not boiling, 30 to 45 seconds. Add in the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute, then use a spoon to stir the mixture together until smooth and glossy.

8. Use a small offset spatula or a spoon to frost each cookie with about 1 tablespoon of the ganache, spreading it in an even circle around the top of the cookie. Sprinkle with the rainbow candy-coated chocolate chips, then place the cookies back on the cooling rack for the ganache to set, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

“Sweet Tooth” Copyright © 2024 by Sarah Fennel. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Sarah Fennel. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.”

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