Hunger Games Inspired Food (Apple-Cider Caramel Cookies from Mellark's Bakery and Capitol Hot Chocolate)

Hey guys! It's a been a while (a week? two weeks?) since I've posted because of a thing called the  homecoming carnival at my high school.

The book club I'm in voted on selling cookies and hot chocolate (both from The Hunger Games) and they both turned out pretty well.

It was really scary the first few hours because really few people bought anything and we thought we'd go into debt because of the material cost of the food. Thankfully, it got cold during the last thirty minutes and people started buying the hot chocolate.

Literally me begging people to buy things:



Here are the recipes we used as modified and some pics:

"Apple-Cider Caramel Cookies from the Mellark Bakery" (makes 25-30 cookies)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened in microwave for 15-20 seconds
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7.4 oz) box Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix (about 10 packets)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 (14 ounce) bag of Kraft chewy caramels (any bite sized caramels)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (so the caramel doesn't stick to the bottom)
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. With an electric mixer, mix together the butter, sugar, salt and all 10-11 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until well combined.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Add vanilla and mix well.
6. Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
7. Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut (about 2 tablespoons).
8. Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press 1/2 of one unwrapped caramel lightly into the top of the cookie. (When we used one whole caramel per cookie it was way too sweet and leaked). Make a small flat circle the size of the cookie and cover the caramel with it, then seal the edges. (When we pressed the caramel in the center, the cookie leaked while baking)
9. Shape the dough into a ball, and place on parchment covered cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.
10. Bake 11-14 minutes, or until the top looks dry. 
11. Once the cookies are done, carefully slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter.
12. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down on the parchment or on a cookie rack. If they are not upside down while they cool the caramel might leak from the bottom. 

(Original recipe source from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Check out her website, she has the best food ever!)

These came out pretty fail the first time but after modifying the recipe a little they came out really good! They're best microwaved for a few seconds to warm the caramel inside. 

"Capitol Hot Chocolate"

We just made normal hot chocolate for this from mix and hot water and topped it with marshmallows, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. They came out looking like this: 

 


We made over 110 dollars in the end!