Goblin Chewies —rsquo; Because Isabella Is a Witch and Lucas Is a Chef and Mateo Is a Cat and Someone Has to Make the Halloween Treats

Halloween prep. Lucas has decided to be a chef for Halloween for the third year in a row. Jenny said, "Ma, he is ruining my costume diversity plan." I said, "Jenny, let the boy be a chef. It is what he is." Isabella has decided to be a witch. Mateo (twenty-two months) has a cat costume because Jenny bought it, not because Mateo chose it.

Coquito prep. Started Thursday. Four bottles. The early-November tradition.

Mami on Sunday said, "Carmen, tell me about your cooking class." I told her. She listened carefully. She said, "You will teach the smell." I said, "Yes, Mami. I wrote it in the curriculum because you told me to." She smiled. She said, "The smell is everything." She closed her eyes for a moment. She said, "Your grandmother taught me the smell when I was six. I remember the day. We were making pernil for a wedding. She said, 'Luz María, smell the pot. This is the smell of garlic doing what garlic does. Remember it. The day you cannot smell it, you stop cooking.'" I had not heard this story. I wrote it in the notebook that night.

Monday at the food bank I made a pernil plus arroz con gandules plus tostones — a full Puerto Rican spread. 156 people. Record. Esther said, "Carmen, there is a line outside." Amelia came into the kitchen. She said, "Carmen, we had to turn people away at 12:45. We ran out of pernil. Next Monday we double the meat order." I said, "Okay." The food bank lunch service is becoming a destination. I am proud. I am also tired.

Thursday at the food bank: sancocho. Big pot. 130 people (lower than Monday, good, we had capacity). Terrence ate two bowls. He said, "Carmen, this is a Caribbean sancocho." I said, "Yes." He said, "In Barbados we call it something different but it is this." I said, "Yes. The islands share food." He said, "The islands share everything, Carmen. That is what islands do." Wepa.

Saturday I prepped for the first cooking class. Jessica brought ingredients to the community center Friday. Twelve students had registered. I was nervous. I was also excited. I have not taught a class since the cafeteria orientation sessions I used to run for new hires, which were not cooking classes so much as "do not burn down the kitchen" sessions.

After four bottles of coquito started, a record Monday at the food bank, and a first cooking class prepped, I still had three children who needed Halloween treats for Friday — a witch, a chef for the third year running, and a twenty-two-month-old who did not choose his costume but will absolutely eat whatever is put in front of him. Goblin Chewies. Something easy, something fun, something Isabella could help with because she is a witch and witches make things. She approved the name immediately.

Goblin Chewies

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups Halloween candy-coated chocolates (orange and black M&Ms or similar)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup green candy melts or green-tinted white chocolate chips (for the “goblin” effect)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined — do not overmix.
4. Fold in the mix-ins. Stir in the Halloween candy-coated chocolates and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Reserve a handful of the candies to press onto the tops of cookies before baking.
5. Scoop and bake. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Press a few reserved candies onto the top of each cookie. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are set and centers look just slightly underdone (they firm up as they cool).
6. Add the goblin finish. While cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, melt the green candy melts according to package directions. Transfer to a zip-lock bag, snip a tiny corner, and drizzle over cooled cookies for the goblin effect. Let set completely before stacking.
7. Cool and serve. Transfer to a wire rack. Cookies will be chewy in the center and slightly crisp on the edges. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg