Sunny Anderson Kicks Off Baking for the Troops – With Cookies!

This morning, Food Network star Sunny Anderson helped us launch Baking for the Troops, a program to send 250,000 cookies overseas to remind troops they’re appreciated.

This morning, Food Network star Sunny Anderson helped us launch Baking for the Troops, a program to send 250,000 cookies overseas to remind troops they’re appreciated. She’ll be at the Kenmore Live Studio this afternoon to help start getting cookies in the oven and meet with fans. So if you want to take part in the fun, you can watch live online in the Live Studio tab on the Kenmore Facebook page. Plus, while you’re at the Facebook page, you can click on the Cookies4Troops tab to have Kenmore donate a dozen cookies to troops stationed overseas this holiday season! Plus, Sunny offered up one of her favorite cookie recipes to get you in a baking frame of mind – in case you want to send a few of your own cookies for a soldier who’d appreciate them!

Sunny’s Candy Bar Thumbprints

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2010

• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), room temperature
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the coating

• 1 cup turbinado or raw cane sugar (recommended: Sugar in the Raw)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans)

For the topping

various candy bars, broken into 1-inch pieces (Skor, Twix, Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat, etc)

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment blend butter and brown sugar on medium high until creamy. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, pushing everything back towards the center. Blend again, then add the vanilla, egg, salt and blend until combined. Lower the speed of the mixer and add flour in 1/2 cup intervals.

Between each addition be sure to completely blend in all the flour and scrape the sides again as before. Once completely combined scrape the dough out of the mixer and add to a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile make gather the coating ingredients. In separate bowls add turbinado sugar and various chopped nuts.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and using a tablespoon measure scoop out dough and roll into a ball between your hands. Continue to finish them all. Then divide the balls evenly and roll each group in one of the coatings, leaving a few un-coated. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, separating them on the sheet by about 1 inch. Bake each batch for 12 minutes. Remove and immediately press one chunk of candy bar in the center of each ball. Remove to a wire rack. Let cool before serving.

Yield: 36 thumbprints

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Inactive time: 2 hours

* November through January is the best time to send these cookies to soldiers overseas because any other month the cargo is too warm. Also perfect because many countries have restrictions on sending candy bars, but this alleviates the problem. Soldiers can get their favorite candy bars in the form of a cookie.

*Perfect for assembly line cookie party, multiple batches can be made with endless combinations of coatings and toppings.