Cookout Cookies are perfect for summer

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I will always love themed treats, and I’ve made some pretty fun ones in the past for the Indy 500 / Memorial Day weekend. This year is no exception! I wanted to celebrate the official start of grilling season by making cute little grills.

There are multiple steps to this, but nothing is too tricky, so stay with me! I started by making the easiest, tastiest chocolate cookies. It’s the same base recipe I use for my hot cocoa cookies. They’re soft, thick, and very chocolatey.

Then I made a batch of classic buttercream with red food coloring. This will act as the flames in the grill.

The third step is the trickiest: I made a picture of a grill grate using the paint program, and I printed it out, making sure it was the same size as the cookies. I then set a piece of wax paper on top and used melted chocolate to draw the design on the wax paper. It will harden after just a few minutes. That’s when you peel it off the wax paper and stick it on top of the frosted cookies.

The last step is the most fun! Use your favorite candies to create shish kebabs to lay on top of the grill.

If I’m being honest, this is not a quick recipe. But sometimes it’s just fun to spend time in the kitchen, and the final result is totally worth it!

Cookout Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 1 (15.25 ounce) box of milk chocolate cake mix
• 8 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, softened

For the buttercream frosting

• 1 cup Challenge butter, softened
• 4 – 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Red food coloring

For the grill grates

• Melted chocolate

For the shish kebabs

• Gummy bears, Mike & Ike’s, Hot Tamales, etc. cut into small pieces

Directions

For the cookies

1. In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix, melted butter, and egg.
2. Add cream cheese and beat until completely incorporated.
3. Stir in chocolate morsels.
4. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes so it’s easier to shape into a ball.
5. Once dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Form dough into 1-inch balls, place on baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.
7. Allow to cool before frosting.

For the buttercream

1. Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth–about 2 minutes.
2. Add heavy cream, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until combined, and then increase mixer to high speed for about 3 minutes.
3. If frosting isn’t thick enough, add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar. If frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream.
4. Frost cookies. I always prefer to use a piping bag, but you can just spread it on if you prefer.

For the grill grate

1. Print out picture of grill grate, and cut piece of wax paper to lay on top of it.
2. Melt chocolate and add to Ziploc bag. Cut one corner and trace grate design on wax paper.
3. Let harden and place on frosted cookies.

For the shish kebabs

1. Place small candy pieces on toothpick and place on top of grill grates.