HALLOWEEN CANDY COOKIES

3-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 to 3 cups chopped candy bits (such as Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, Heath Bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, jelly beans, M&Ms, Lifesavers) (I used M&Ms, whoppers, milky way, and hershey's chocolate bars--they were really good)

1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugars together with a mixer until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in candy bits.

3. Preheat oven to 350F.

4. Drop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheet. (The recipe said to bake for 15-20 minutes. I baked for 10 and they were done, but I do have a convection option on my oven.) Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This recipe was in an insert in the Seattle Times called Celebrating America's Love of Food.

--Shelly Smith