No-Bake Cookie Dough Balls

Everyone has at least one person in their life who continually raids the cookie dough when you're trying to make Toll House or other chocolate chip cookies. I remember getting yelled at as a kid because that micron or 2 of raw egg in the minuscule bit of dough I snagged was sure to give me salmonella. Don't even get me started on my mom's paranoia around eggnog, there's a post for that.

Chocolate dipped cookie dough balls

Again, I digress. This recipe is essentially the same as the toll house dough except that the much safer apple sauce is substituted for the egg. The original recipe that I came across called for making the balls with mini chips in the 'dough' and then dipping them in melted chocolate.

As much a I LOVE chocolate, that was even too much for me, so I started making the 'dough' without the chips and then rolling the balls in those tiny mini chips. Another option that I've done and is pictured here is to leave the mini chips out altogether and dip plain dough balls into melted chocolate.

THE RECIPE:

2/3c butter at room temperature

3/4c granulated sugar

3/4c brown sugar

1/4c apple sauce

1t vanilla

1-3/4c flour

1/2t baking soda

1/2t salt

If you're mixing them in, 1 c mini chips

If you're rolling the balls in the chips, you'll need a few cups

If you're dipping the balls in melted chocolate, you'll want to melt about 18oz of semi-sweet chocolate.

Whisk all the flour, soda and salt together until well blended

Whisk the first 5 ingredients together until uniform in color and texture

Gradually add the dry to the wet and mix until it looks like cookie dough.

If using the minis in the dough, fold them in.

Place dough in the refrigerator to cool so you can roll it into balls.

Once the dough is cold, have either the mini chips for rolling or the melted chocolate ready for dipping. Roll the cold dough into 1/2 to 3/4" balls and finish them with your preference of chips or dip.

In case you're wondering, I've never tried to actually bake these. If you get brave and try it, let me know.