The best part of Easter being over is all of the leftover abandoned bunnies for sale on clearance at Target. I can buy four three-ounce milk chocolate bunnies for less than I can buy a bag of chocolate chips. I spent a whole whopping $0.59 for each bunny. Win! Added bonus, I get to mutilate the bunnies before throwing their chopped heads and butts into cookie dough, thinking about Monty Python’s “Rabbit of Caerbannog“ the entire time. I had a hard time deciding which chocolate bunnies to purchase, but finally chose the Russell Stover Solid Milk Chocolate Bunnies because they cost much lower than the Godiva version, but are still made with a good quality chocolate, unlike some of the cheap hollow bunnies that were still available. Yes, I was that girl taking over eight different types of chocolate bunnies to the price check scanner, trying to determine which was the best buy. Don’t judge me for being a bit thrifty, I more than made up for it by buying over $200.00 worth of crap on my two-hour shopping spree.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail – The Killer Bunny

Is it weird that these “Killer Bunny” Oatmeal Cookies are for my niece’s fourth birthday? Will this cookie cause her to have a lifetime fear of rabbits? I’m not sure, but at least I know she won’t quickly forget them. Tori, whose birthday is on May 8th, the same day as her uncle B.O.B. Bob’s birthday, will be celebrating her fourth birthday today. We’re unable to attend her party due to a prior engagement, so I sent down some cookies for her and her friends to enjoy at her party, as well as a huge box of gifts for the kids. (I buy every child a gift when one of them has a birthday, so no one feels left out.) This dress that I bought her was my favorite, along with this cardigan. I love Target, as witnessed by my ability to spend two hours in a store and come out with a cart full of merchandise, most of which I really don’t need, but I do have one huge complaint. I hate shopping for children’s clothes there, because it takes forever to find a matching outfit in the correct sizes. The only size you can always count on finding is 0-3 Months, and that’s only because no child in the world is every born that small! I’m pretty sure that Tori was never that teeny-tiny, she grows more and more each time we see her. She has the sweetest little personality, and is turning into a lovely little girl, and I just can’t believe she’s four-years old already. Uncle B.O.B. Bob, Cousin Brenna, and Aunt Colleen are wishing you the happiest fourth birthday Tori, and hoping that our “Killer Bunny” Oatmeal Cookies don’t cause too many nightmares.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 4 (3-oz.) Russell Stover Solid Milk Chocolate Bunnies
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup Quick Cooking Oatmeal
• Vanilla Sugar (Optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Chop the chocolate bunnies into small chunks; set aside. If you chop the head off first, you won’t have to be afraid of them attacking you unexpectedly.
4. Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, and then mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
6. Add the vanilla, and then mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
7. On low-speed, slowly add the sifted flour mixture, just until incorporated.
8. With a spatula, fold in the oatmeal, followed by the chopped chocolate bunnies.
9. With a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon the cookie dough onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
10. Sprinkle vanilla sugar over the top of each cookie.
11. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the edges start to brown.
12. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, before removing them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Suggestions:

• You can use any type of chocolate bunny you choose in this recipe, just try to make sure you have 12-oz. of chopped chocolate. You can also use plain chopped chocolate, but you’ll miss out on all of the bunny mutilation.
• This cookie will burn quickly; make sure to keep an eye on the cookies to prevent a burnt bunny disaster.
• You can buy vanilla sugar here, or use this recipe to make your own. I received a grinder full of vanilla sugar as a gift for Easter, and was super excited to put it to use, but the product I was given is from France, and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere online to give you an idea of where it can be purchased.
• This recipe will yield approximately four-dozen cookies.

Improvements:

• Add raisins to the cookie dough when folding in the oatmeal and chocolate.
• Pretend to ride an imaginary horse around the kitchen, while baking these cookies. Why? Because it’s fun, or at least it is until you run over the cat’s paw while galloping about.

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck

-Colleen