Recipe courtesy of Molly Yeh

Bear-y Cookie Salad

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr 10 min
  • Active: 1 hr
  • Yield: 3 to 5 servings

Ingredients

Graham Bears:

Directions

Special equipment:
a 1 3/4- or 2 1/2-inch bear-shaped cookie cutter
  1. Make the graham bears and then make the Greek yogurt whip.
  2. For the Greek yogurt whip: In a medium mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, honey and lime zest. Stir to combine. Set aside.
  3. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat for 3 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks form (whipped cream will hold its peak on the whisk when held upright). Using a rubber spatula, fold the honey-lime Greek yogurt into the whipped cream.
  4. Crumble 24 large or 36 small Graham Bears into the whipped cream mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the gummy bears. Gently fold in to fully incorporate.
  5. Transfer the bear salad into a serving bowl. Top with the remaining 12 large or small Graham Bears and the remaining 1/2 cup of gummy bears, and drizzle with extra honey.

Graham Bears:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar and honey. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until butter is light and smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to evenly incorporate. Mixing on low speed, add the dry mixture and milk, alternating a little at a time, and mix for about 2 to 3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Continue to mix by hand until smooth. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
  3. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  4. On a well-floured work surface, roll the dough to 1/8-inch thick (it should be slightly thicker than average graham crackers) and cut out bear shapes with a 1 3/4- or 2 1/2-inch bear-shaped cookie cutter. Gather the dough scraps and roll back out to yield 36 large bears or 48 smaller bears. (You can continue to re-roll the dough to yield the full amount or freeze leftovers for another time. You should get anywhere from 60 to 84 bears, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.) Transfer the bears to the prepared baking sheets, keeping minimal space between them as they don’t spread. Use a chopstick to dock the bears with a nose and belly button. Add 2 mini chocolate chips to each bear for eyes.
  5. Refrigerate one baking sheet while the other is in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are semi-firm and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining bears. 60 to 84 cookies