Chocolate Chip Milky Way Cookies

It is no secret that my mother is not into cooking or baking. However, people hand her recipes from time-to-time. I don’t know if they are just trying to be nice or she gets in the wrong line when they are handing them out or they really do not know her very well. When she receives a recipe it is typically on a 8 ½ x 11 sheet of copy paper that she quickly folds up and writes these words on the back, “Give to Kelli.” Then you guessed it, she gives it to me. I then unfold the recipes and quickly scan them to see if they are any good. Today’s recipe was one that I scanned but was not so sure about. I think I have had it for several years so obviously it was not high on my list. I rewrote it in a couple of ways to allow for choices. The recipe looks intimidating at first. Read the entire thing and then make a decision. There really are not that many ingredients in it. It just appears that way because of all the options. The only thing I know about this cookie is that it won first place in some kind of contest. My mother did not find out any details, and the distributor of the copied sheet cut off this important information.
A few things to note: You must first decide if you are going to make your own chocolate chip cookies or use a tube of cookie dough. Check. Then you must decide if you want nuts in your cookies. Check. The final decision is if you want any toppings on your frosting and if so, what kind. It is a make it your way kind of cookie.
So what the heck do they taste like? I see why he/she won first place. Oh, my, goodness this frosting is so incredibly yummy. It has to be the smoothest chocolate caramel sauce ever. When the bars were melting, I was so afraid it was going to be grainy, like a terrible fudge. Let me tell you, I make terrible fudge. I make the best toffee ever and the worst fudge ever. I’m a complex person you see.
Brownies, *lightbulb moment* this milky way frosting should go on top of brownies. Oh, I’m so excited. Glad I had that thought.

Chocolate Chip Milky Way Cookies
Ingredients:
1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated (ready made) chocolate chip cookie dough
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

OR, make your own cookie dough (2 cups):
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ c + 2 tab granulated sugar
¼ c + 2 tabs packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Frosting:
2 Milky Way original candy bars, unwrapped and chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 tab milk
1 cup powdered sugar

Toppings:
½ cup toffee bits
½ cup of chopped pecans
1 Milky Way original candy bar, unwrapped and chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Either break up a tube of cookie dough and add 1 cup of pecans (optional) or mix together flour through pecans. If you mix your own dough, chill it for 30 minutes.
Shape dough into 20 balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cooksheets and bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 2 chopped candy bars and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add milk and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
Frost cooled cookies with warm Milky Way mixture. Immediately sprinkle toffee bits, chopped pecans, or chopped candy bar frosting if desired. Press lightly into frosting. Makes 20 cookies.