Made with my signature chocolate chip cookie base, these cookies are jam-packed with some of India’s most popular and nostalgic candies – Dairy Milk Silk, 5 Star, Perk, Melody, Alpenliebe, Gems.
If there’s one, no, actually two things you should know about me, it’s that I love nostalgia and I love chocolate, and this dessert combines both of those things, so obviously it’s amazing.
I think all of us have chocolates and candies from childhood that we used to love that carry a lot of nostalgic flavor, even if they’re not the “best” chocolates. There’s something about them that takes you back to the good old days. And I wanted to bring that sentiment in the form of cookies, so of course, I added my favorite childhood Indian candies into cookies.
They’re not any different from regular chocolate chip cookies. I use my signature chocolate chip cookie base for all of them, but instead of adding chocolate chips, I’ve divided the dough into six parts and mixed each with one of my favorite Indian candies.
We have Dairy Milk Silk, 5 Star, Perk, Alpenliebe, Melody, and Perk, and each one is absolutely delicious.
Let’s get into the details.
Cookie Dough
My signature cookie dough is simple to make and results in thick, chewy cookies. I use both brown and white sugar for extra chewiness and flavor. The only difficult part about making this cookie dough is chilling it. The dough has to be chilled for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, and no, you cannot skip it!
Chilling allows the flour to properly hydrate and combine with the other ingredients and giving you that flavorful, thick cookie.
But trust me, it’s worth the wait.
Here are the steps for making the cookie dough.
- In a bowl, add room temperature butter with brown and white sugar and whip it on high speed with an electric mixer until it’s pale and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure the butter isn’t too soft or too cold. The whipping process builds air pockets in the butter, which helps in creating a thicker cookie. if the butter is too hard, it will not whip well, and if it’s too soft, it will not be able to hold any air within.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and whip again until fully combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt- and whip on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix at this step, or the cookies will turn out dry and hard.
How to create six different cookie flavors with one base
- Once the cookie dough is ready, split it into six separate bowls. In each bowl, add one candy of your choice, chopped into small and medium-sized pieces. I like to have a few different sizes of chocolate or candy pieces for the different textures.
Note: Don’t add too much chocolate into the 5-star cookie, as 5-star has a lot of caramel, which leads to the cookie spreading a lot. - Mix each bowl of cookie dough with the chocolate well using a silicone spatula or a spoon until combined, then cover with plastic wrap (or transfer to a ziplock bag or tightly packed cling film) and chill in the fridge for 6-12 hours (up to 24 hours)
- You can also freeze the cookie dough at this step and use it for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap it well before storing.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, shape it into balls using a cookie scoop (or weigh them out to 45-50 grams for a big cookie or 35-40 grams for a smaller cookie) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure to leave enough distance between each cookie so that they can spread without sticking to each other.
- Bake the cookies at 170 degrees Celsius for about 12 minutes, until they are set and lightly golden on the sides, but still soft in the center. They will look undercooked, but the residual heat will cook them once you take them out of the oven. Remember, underbaked cookies are always better than overbaked cookies.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a large circle cookie cutter or any similar jar cap, place it around each cookie, and rotate a few times to give the cookies a nice, round shape. This isn’t necessary, but it helps them look a lot nicer.
- Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt, and top the cookies with extra candies. Let them cool down before serving. If serving at a later time, microwave them for 20 seconds for a more delicious flavor.
You can use any of your favorite childhood candies, but if they have caramel, make sure not to add too many, as the caramel melts and spreads everywhere.
It’s a simple and easy way to take your cookies to another level, and trust me, everyone around you will be delighted to take a trip back down memory lane.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Indian Candy-inspired Cookies | Dairy Milk Silk Cookie, 5 Star Cookie, Perk Cookie, Melody Cookie, Alpenlibe Cookie, Gems Cookie
Equipment
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- Baking tray
- Bakign paper
- Ice cream scoop optional
Ingredients
- 225 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 grams white granulated sugar
- 200 grams packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 380 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 80 grams 5 Star chocolate chopped
- 120 grams Dairy Milk Silk plain or hazelnut, chopped
- 100 grams Perk chocolate chopped
- 70 grams Melody chopped
- 100 grams Gems chocolate
- 50 grams Alpenliebe chopped
- 50 grams milk or dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Add room-temperature butter to a large mixing bowl with brown and white sugar. Whip the mixture on high speed using an electric mixer for about 3–5 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat again for another 2 minutes, or until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix everything on low speed just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated; do not over mix at this stage.
- Once your cookie dough base is ready, split it evenly into six bowls. Each portion will be flavored with a different Indian candy or chocolate.
- Chop each candy bar into a combination of small and medium-sized pieces. Stir one type of candy into each bowl of dough, using a silicone spatula or spoon to mix it in thoroughly.
- Cover each bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the dough into ziplock bags or cling film. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
- At this step, the dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Just make sure it’s well wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
- After chilling, scoop out the dough using a cookie scoop or weigh it for accuracy. I recommend 45–50 grams for large bakery-style cookies, or 35–40 grams for regular-sized ones. Roll each portion into a ball and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Bake the cookies for around 12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, while the centers should still look soft and slightly underbaked.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a large round cookie cutter or the rim of a wide jar to swirl around each cookie in a circular motion. This gives them a uniform, round shape and a polished bakery-style look.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with flaky sea salt while they’re still warm to balance the sweetness, and press a few extra candy chunks on top for that “loaded” look. Let the cookies cool before serving, or microwave for 20 seconds when eating later to bring back that soft, fresh-from-the-oven feel.
Notes
Tips & Tricks
-
Use the right butter texture:
Your butter should be soft enough to press a finger into, but still cool to the touch, not melted. This helps it whip properly and hold air, giving you cookies with a better rise and chewy texture. -
Don’t skip the chill time:
Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and the flavors to deepen. It also keeps the cookies from spreading too thin while baking. Even 6 hours makes a difference—but overnight is best. -
Customize candy sizes:
Chop your candy into a mix of small and medium pieces for the best texture. Small pieces melt into the dough, while larger ones create gooey, melty pockets. -
Go easy on soft or gooey candies:
Candies like 5-Star that have caramel centers can cause cookies to spread. Use a conservative amount or combine with sturdier chocolate to balance it out. -
Test one cookie first:
If you’re unsure how a particular candy will behave in the oven, bake one test cookie first. That way, you can adjust the candy quantity or dough size if needed before baking the full batch. -
Use a cookie cutter for perfect rounds:
Right out of the oven, place a round cookie cutter around the cookie and swirl it gently to reshape it. It’s a small step that makes a big visual difference! -
Salt makes a difference:
A pinch of flaky sea salt on top enhances all the sweet flavors and balances the richness. Don’t skip it! -
Revive cookies like a pro:
Serving the cookies later? Pop them in the microwave for about 15–20 seconds to get that warm, gooey texture back. It makes a huge difference in flavor and texture!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
