Mighty Delighty: Pot of Gold Candy Filled Cookies {{St Patrick's Day}}

There are ideas that sometimes just won't leave me alone....like the idea of a cookie filled with candy. Because as you know, cookies by themselves aren't fun enough and somewhere down the line someone thought they would be even better filled with candy.

And of course they were right!

I've seen amazing versions of this all around, like these adorable Pinata Cookies and have wanted to "try" to make one since. I was planning on making one for this past Christmas season, but never found the time. But for this upcoming St. Patrick's Day...the idea re-emerged and I came up with this fun "filled" treat....

This was the first thing I thought of since I figured that a pot of gold cookie would be so much more fun
filled with rainbow colored candy!

They are relatively easy to make, but do take a little time to assemble and decorate. But the end result is always more enjoyable when the unsuspecting cookie eater, finds a bit more of treasure inside each cookie!

I made these using an amazing vanilla sugar cookie recipe from LilaLoa.com. They are my absolute favorite Vanilla Sugar Cookie as of the moment. If your up to making the dough try her recipe. But if your not feeling that adventurous, go buy some sugar cookie dough at the store, although they most likely won't hold there shape so sharply after baking.

This is what you will need...

Circle Cookie Cutter
Sugar Cookies
Dark Chocolate Candy Melts
Yellow Candy Melts
Green Candy Melts
Decorating Bags or small plastic baggies
Rainbow Sunny Seeds or Miniature M&M's
Black Sanding Sugar (Optional)
Yellow Sanding Sugar (Optional)
Yellow Sprinkles (Optional)
Wax Paper

Roll out your sugar cookie dough and using the round cookie cutter make your circles. I used a cutter that measured 2-1/2 inched in diameter. Each cookie is comprised of three parts, so make sure you cut enough cookies out of the dough to be able to assemble them at a later time. Keep one whole, cut a small hole in another (using whatever works) and using the edge of the cutter, cut off a a crescent shape off of the top of the remaining two. Be mindful to cut them evenly as they will match up.

Bake them according the recipe directions and allow them to fully cool, before you move onto the next steps. After they are fully cooled you can get ready to assemble them. First I created the tops of the cookies. Melt your dark chocolate candy melts and pour them into your decorating bags or plastic baggies and snip a small opening at the bottom.

Pipe a nice line around the cookie and let it set for a minute. Chocolate is very runny, so take your time and go slow and it will look smooth and even. If you feel as though your line is to "wobbly", before the chocolate begins to set, use a toothpick and run through the line to smooth it out a bit

I outlined all my cookies, so by the time I had to fill them, the outer edge had set. This outer line helps the "fill" chocolate not run over the sides. With the outer edge set, fill in the cookies with the rest of the chocolate. When done you can wiggle it a bit so it smooths out.

I added some black sanding sugar to the still soft chocolate to add a little dimension to the cookie. If you have it and want to use it wonderful, but if not then just skip the sanding sugar......the cookie will still taste and look fine!

While these are setting up, you can begin to assemble the rest of the cookies. Pipe some chocolate onto the back of the middle piece of the cookie, don't worry if it's not to neat, just don't over do it.

Attach it to the lower portion of the cookie and wiggle it a bit to be sure it adheres.

Fill the center portion with whatever candies you will be filling your cookies with. I used Sunny Seeds, but miniature M&M's can also be used. Whatever you want to put inside the cookie is your choice, anything
small will work.

Now attach to the top portion (make sure they are fully set) onto the top of the cookie. Pipe chocolate onto the back and position it on top of the layered cookie so it covers the candy filled portion.

This is where all your patience starts to show some reward. Melt you yellow candy melts and start adding
the yellow chocolate in layers.

Add some yellow candies, sprinkles or sanding sugars (Use what you have) in each layer to give it some added depth.

After all the layers have dried the top of you cookie will resemble something like this....

To finish the cookie off you may want to add a shamrock onto the front of the cookie. I made mine by adding some green Sunny Seeds in melted chocolate, to give to a shamrock feeling. I melted some green candy melts, piped three little dots of chocolate onto a piece of wax paper.

While the chocolate as still soft I added the Sunny Seeds. Just let them set fully before you add them onto the cookie.

You could alternatively just pipe three leaves directly onto the cookie as well. To attached to the cookie, I piped a small dab of chocolate onto the cookie an placed the shamrock onto it.