I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!! I’m still abroad, exploring Iceland now (follow me on instagram for updates!), but wanted to continue with a streak of patriotic treats here on the blog since Americana pride can last all summer long. There’s nothing like a mid-summer BBQ and these tiny little treats are the PERFECT dessert for any cook out this summer. I’ve seen so many variations of cupcake burgers, burgers with vanilla wafers and thin mints, etc. etc. but here is my variation that I’m super proud of and really, really excited to share with all of you today!
When I made taco cookies last year, I was also shrieking-little-girl-excited with how cute and realistic they looked. But as adorable as those tacos were, the flavors didn’t exactly mesh so well. It was definitely more about looks than taste with those! So for this sweet interpretation of the infamous American hamburger, I wanted to make sure they not only looked fantastic, but tasted really good too. So I sought out a soft, yummy cookie that could hold up to the filling and not be too crunchy (ahem, Nilla Wafers). I could have done a homemade cookie recipe, but when I saw Trader Joe’s soft batch snickerdoodles, I knew they were just too perfect to pass up. They really look like mini hamburger buns! And they’re soft and full of cinnamon, which goes really well with the brownie and coconut flavors. I passed on using lemon starburst for cheese this time, and just piped yellow melting chocolate into squares to emulate American cheese, and red melting chocolate for ketchup. The white chocolate flavor definitely goes better with everything else compared to a lemon Starburst!!
The burger patties themselves are made of smooshed up brownies that I molded to be the exact same size as the TJ cookies. You don’t have to do anything special to the brownies, just take a small scoop of baked brownie and roll it into your hands until it’s smooth and pliable. Better than beef if you ask me! I used coconut oil for the boxed brownies I made instead of vegetable oil and I LOVED the result. Went so well with the coconut lettuce too! These were really almost too cute to eat though. When I brought them over to my friend’s apartment last week we all sat there for a few minutes just looking at them, no one wanted to ruin the cuteness! But eventually our stomach’s gave in and they were soon devoured. So cute, so delicious, pleaseeeee make these!!
Mini Cookie Brownie Burgers
Yield: 12 burgers
Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix (plus necessary ingredients called for on the box)
2 packages Trader Joe's Soft Batch Snickerdoodle Cookies (24 total cookies)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Few drops green food coloring
6 oz yellow chocolate melts
4 oz red chocolate melts
Directions:
Prepare the brownies according to the package's instructions. Allow the brownies to full cool before handling.
Brush the tops of 12 of the snickerdoodle cookies with a bit of water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Allow the water to dry so the sesame seeds stick before assembling the burgers. Once the brownies are cooled, form patties by rolling balls of baked brownie together until you get a smooth texture that can be shaped into a patty. Use the snickerdoodles as a size guide for your brownie burger patties.
Place the coconut in a small ziploc bag and put in a few drops of green food coloring. Mix and shake the coconut well until color is evenly distributed. Set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the yellow candy melts in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between each interval, until completely melted. Roll out a piece of wax paper and use a spatula or spoon to make little squares of yellow chocolate that are slightly bigger than your patties. You can use a toothpick to smooth out the edges. Allow the chocolate to set.
Assemble burgers by placing the brownie patty on top of one of the non-sesame seeded cookies, and cover with a piece of yellow "cheese". If you have some leftover melted yellow chocolate, spread a bit over the cheese and place the coconut lettuce on top, pressing down gently to secure the coconut. Melt red chocolate melts similarly as you melted the yellow ones, and transfer to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe red candy melts on top of the lettuce to look like ketchup. Then add the sesame seed bun and press gently or use a toothpick/skewer to secure the burgers. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Then you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I just found your site through a list of “20 holiday shot glasses” on Diply and have been scrolling through your recipes… You have created some great sweets, what a fun site!
These have to be THE CUTEST things EVER! I can’t wait to make them!