These Smartie Cookies are a burst of colour, fun and yum! A rich, soft and chewy chocolate cookie topped with pretty Smartie designs – yes, they’re as delightful to look at as they are to eat.
This recipe is adapted from these Swiss Easter Cookies. A friend sent me another recipe from this website and I noticed these cookies and immediately fell in love! It's a simple recipe that lets you unleash a little creativity. While I first fell in love with the look of these cookies, I was head over heels after baking them up and biting into that lovely chewy chocolate goodness.
These cookies are perfect for kids parties, Easter (with the bunny designs) or just because!
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Sentimental about Smarties
When it comes to tiny candy covered chocolates, M&M's seem to be the popular choice in Australia these days. But I remember a time when Smarties were the only option!
Smarties started out as "chocolate beans" in the UK in 1882. They became "Smarties" in the 1930s and arrived in Australia in the 1950s – well before those more brightly coloured M&M's from the US arrived in Australia in the 1980s.
I love the colour of Smarties against the rich chocolate biscuits in this recipe. And because you add them after baking, they don't lose any of their colour or crack.
Ingredient notes
You'll need Smarties, of course, along with the other basic ingredients you'd expect to find in a cookie recipe. The cocoa I've used in the cookies is Cadbury Bournville cocoa, a Dutch-processed cocoa. This type of cocoa has a darker, mellower, and more chocolatey flavour, and is generally preferred when recipes also include baking powder.
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for a full ingredient list and ingredient quantities.
How to make Smartie Cookies
Start by pre-heating the oven to 160 degrees celsius/320 degrees fahrenheit. Grease 2 baking trays and line them with baking paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract (see image 1). Beat until the mixture turns more pale and fluffy (see image 2).
Add the egg and beat again on low/medium speed until combined (see image 3). The mixture should be smooth rather than lumpy (see image 4).
Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder and sift into the mixture (see image 5). Fold into the mixture with a butter knife until combined (see image 6). Don't over-stir.
Roll tablespoons of the cookie dough into balls (see image 7). Place the balls on prepared baking trays, allowing a little room for spreading. Flatten the balls into a disc shape about 1cm high using your fingers (see image 8).
Bake for 12 minutes.
While the cookies are baking, assemble smarties into 14 different designs – or however many cookies you have baking in the oven (see image 9).
Once baked, remove the trays from the oven and start pressing the Smarties gently into the cookies while they are still warm (see image 10). Once Smarties are in place, transfer cookies to a wire tray to continue cooling. The Smarties should set in place.
Storage
Once completely cool, store cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one week.
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to a few months. Defrost overnight at room temperature before serving.
More nostalgic treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Smartie Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- baking trays
Ingredients
- 100 grams butter
- 160 grams caster sugar (¾ cup)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 150 grams plain / all purpose flour (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 25 grams cocoa (3 tablespoons)
- 1 pinch baking powder
- 100 grams Smarties (about ½ cup)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celsius/320 degrees fahrenheit).
- Grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
- Add the egg and beat on low/medium speed until combined.
- Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder and sift into the mixture. Fold into the mixture with a butter knife until combined.
- Roll tablespoons of the cookie dough into balls. Place on prepared baking trays, allowing a little room for spreading, and flatten balls into a disc shape about 1cm high using your fingers.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, assemble smarties into 14 different designs.
- Once baked, remove the trays from the oven and start pressing the Smarties gently into the cookies while they are still warm. Once Smarties are in place, transfer cookies to a wire tray to continue cooling.
Libby says
Hope you love this recipe as much as I do!