Dunkaroos Cookies

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!

Nostalgia can be a security blanket during times of uncertainty. In the past few months, I’m sure you’ve seen friends post old photos and reminisce about past vacations and other joyous events. I think people do these things because positive memories help them to evoke positive emotions.

Personally, food memories are the most powerful for me.

I sometimes think back on my childhood, especially during the summer when I had a long break from school and my family went on vacations. That was the life. I wish I would have appreciated that time more.

When I specifically think of childhood memories, I most often fixate on food. Kraft Mac & Cheese has been at the very top of my mind lately. I’ve also been thinking about Dinosaur Eggs oatmeal, French Toast Crunch, and Spaghetti O’s.

My mother worked hard to make sure we had a home-cooked meal almost every night. So why did I love “junk food” so much? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s because I rarely got a chance to eat it, so now I crave it!

This bout of nostalgia inspired me to create a recipe to help all my fellow 90s kids. I made Dunkaroos cookies. Essentially, they're chewy graham cracker cookies with a Dunkaroo frosting center. The frosting is a mixture of a vanilla cream cheese frosting and a buttercream frosting. My husband says they taste exactly how he remembers Dunkaroos taste.

I'm not sure why Dunkaroos got the boot from store shelves, but hopefully this recipe will satisfy your nostalgic urge for one of the best snacks from the 90s.

Dunkaroos Cookies
Yield: Makes about 12 cookies
Ingredients
For the frosting

• 3/4 cups Challenge butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar (480 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the cookies

• 1 1/4 cup flour (150 grams)
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (120 grams)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Challenge butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
For the frosting

1. Beat the butter and the cream cheese on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
3. Beat in the vanilla and the salt.
4. Refrigerate the frosting while you prepare the cookie dough.

For the cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter together until creamy.  
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.  
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  
6. Scoop dough into Tablespoon-sized balls. Stick your thumbs into the center of the dough to form a cavity.
7. Remove frosting from refrigerator. Stuff the cavity with about a teaspoon of the frosting.
8. Place cookie dough on baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.  
9. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.
10. There will be leftover frosting. Unfortunately, there's no great way to make a smaller batch. You can freeze the leftover frosting, spread it on graham crackers, or eat it with a spoon.

This isn't a pretty photo, but I wanted to share it so you know what the dough will look like before you bake them!