Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

The second place prize winner of $10,000, Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies from the first Grand National Pillsbury Bake Off 1949 

 by Miss Laura Rott of Naperville, Illinois

"The idea for this cooky came to Miss Rott when she was given a package of chocolate mints.  A solid chocolate candy wafer flavored with mint is baked right in the cooky itself.  The cookie dough is wrapped around the wafer, and a big walnut is pressed into the top.  Looks just like a plain cooky-but what a luscious surprise when you take a bite!"

These are the high dollar cookies in the box and they really are good, especially warm from the oven!  The original recipe called for Rockwood Milk Chocolate Mint Wafers, which are not around anymore.  The Pillsbury site suggests using Andes mints.  I decided to use mini York Peppermint patties.  They are small, round, and cheaper (a bag of 20 for 1 buck at dollar tree).  I have an ad promoting this "cooky" from Family Circle December 1950 which shows the package of Rockwood Mints: 

The recipe in the magazine suggests using either a walnut or pecan, so I went with pecans!  They are a little bit cheaper than walnuts and I needed pecans for the Mad Hatter cookies also!  I am a thrifty multi-tasking kinda gal!

Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies Recipe

These are one of my favorites in the set.  Possibly my favorite because they were the easiest to make and are quite yummy as well.  The "hardest" part was having to make the dough in advance and refrigerating it.  The only thing I don't care for is the cookie becomes a little bit too firm for my liking a couple of days after baking. I guess the best thing to do is eat them up in the first 12 hours!

{These cookies are one of six Grand National Pillsbury Bake Off winners that I baked for Christmas gifts as shown in this Good Housekeeping magazine ad from December 1951.}