Rocky Cookies - Inspired by Project Hail Mary
Rocky Cookies inspired by Project Hail Mary are fun, quick, and easy to make! These one-bowl sugar cookies use dark brown sugar for rich flavor and color, and are shaped like the lovable alien Rocky, without any special decorating required. Perfect for your Project Hail Mary watch party.
Servings: 16 cookies, approximately
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 1 cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup (293 grams) all-purpose flour measured correctly (digital scale preferred)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- blue hard candy for Rocky’s markings*
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the cold, cubed butter and dark brown sugar. Start mixing on low and slowly increase to medium-high until light, fluffy, and slightly lightened in color – about 5 minutes. Stop once or twice to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure it's completely mixed.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until just incorporated, being careful not overmix.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Transfer dough to the plastic wrap and shape into a log about 16" / 40cm long. Gently shape the log into a rough trapezoid shape, to resemble Rocky's body. My log was about 3/4-inch at the base and 1-inch on top. It doesn't have to be perfect! Use the plastic wrap to smooth each side out. Wrap the log up and transfer to a cutting board. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line light-colored rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut the log into slices 1/4-inch thick. Place most of the cookies on prepared pans, spaced at least a couple inches apart.
- Use some of the slices for Rocky's limbs by cutting a slice into four 'sticks'. Place two limbs directly next to each 'body' slice, a little below the top of his bod for 'arms' and another two limbs below that for 'legs'. Bend the limbs outwards slightly and gently smooth the seams together with your fingertips.
- Using blue rock candy (see notes), dot a few pieces on the body and limbs for Rocky's markings. Use a small knife to carefully cut little slits into the end of each limb, to resemble Rocky's 'hands'. If time permits, place the shaped cookies in the fridge for about 10 minutes prior to baking, to ensure the dough is as cold as possible before baking.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and set at the edges. Straight out of the oven, if needed, re-shape the 'hands' slightly if the shapes became a little vague during baking.
- Allow cookies to completely cool on baking pans before serving. Cooled cookies will keep inside an airtight container for about 4 days.
Notes
Rocky's Markings: Use any blue or blue-green hard candy or chocolate with a blue candy coating. I found that picking the blue candies out of a pack of rock candy worked best. Avoid baking anything that may melt too quickly (e.g. gummy candies or jellybeans). If you're using softer candies, add them to each cookie immediately out of the oven, while the cookies are still hot, so they will stick to the cookies and look great without melting into weird blue puddles. Note that any flavored candies will impact the final cookies' flavoring, too.
Bake These Cookies COLD: Make sure you chill the dough well before baking, and keep any slices refrigerated while the rest bake. Warm dough will cause Rocky to completely lose his shape, so the colder the dough when it hits the oven, the better.