TWD Rewind—Cocoa Crispy Peanut Grabbers (Granola Grabbers)

For Tuesdays With Dorie this week, we could chose any recipe we wanted from the book as a rewind to either something we missed in the past or any recipe we really loved and wanted to make again.  While flipping through the cookie section, I found a couple of the recipes I hadn’t made yet, so I decided that I would make one of them.  I would still like to eventually try to complete every recipe in the book.

One of the cookies I missed was Dorie’s Granola Grabbers (pages 82-83).  I love granola.  I eat homemade granola almost every day.  However, I was currently almost out and when looking in my cupboard, I saw that I had recently gotten two boxes of Cocoa Krispies and decided I’d try the cookies, but use the Krispies instead.  So, needless to say, I ended up making a lot of changes to the recipe because I also altered the amounts of sugar and flour a bit and omitted some of the other ingredients in Dorie’s recipe.  

Cocoa Crispy Peanut Grabbers, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Dorie Greenspan

3 cups Cocoa Krispies (I’m sure Rice Krispies would be great, too!)

3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (regular ones would be fine, too)

1/3 cup wheat germ

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, minus 2 tablespoons

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Combine in a medium sized bowl the Cocoa Krispies, peanuts and oats.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, wheat germ and salt. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute or two.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  Stir in the cereal, peanuts, oat mixture.  Scoop out rounded tablespoon of dough and form them into balls with your hands.  Space them 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Press each ball of dough down slightly.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a couple minutes.  Move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 

I thought these turned out really well (I was a little worried with all the changes I made!)  The cookies are crispy but slightly chewy and have great texture with the cocoa cereal, wheat germ and oats, not to mention the peanuts giving them a great chocolate/peanut flavor. 

This is it, Friends.  One more week of TWD and our last recipe will also be a cookie, hosted by none other than Dorie herself!  I wonder what everyone else made for TWD Rewind week this week?