Here's a solution for some of that leftover Halloween candy -- just cut relatively soft chocolate candy into bite-size pieces and use them in this recipe!

1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons water (or coffee, if you have some left over from breakfast)
3 cups flour (no need to sift) SURPRISE
8 to 10 dozen small pieces of chocolate Halloween candy
walnut halves (or pecan halves) to decorate the tops of the cookies

Melt the butter and mix in the sugars. Add the beaten eggs, soda, salt, vanilla and water (or coffee.) Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Then chill the dough for at least an hour (overnight is fine, too.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and form it around a chocolate wafer (or a piece of cut up candy bar.) Place a walnut half (or pecan half) on top and place it on a greased baking sheet, 12 cookies to a standard sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on cookie sheet for two minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

Yield: 8 to 10 dozen, depending on cookie size.

A Word of Warning about COCOA

When cocoa is used in any of my recipes, make sure to use plain old American cocoa (I usually use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa.) There are many designer cocoas on the market. They’re wonderful in their own right, but they won’t work in my recipes. Make sure you don’t buy cocoa mix, which has powdered milk and a sweetener added. Stay away from Dutch process cocoa – it has alkaline added. Also beware of cocoas that are mixed with ground chocolate or other flavorings. They won’t work either. Things were simpler in my grandmother’s day (and she’s the one who gave me the Cocoa Snaps recipe.) If you’re in doubt, check the ingredients that are listed on the container of cocoa. It should say "cocoa" and nothing else.