Homemade Flaky Flix, just like Mother's (Cookies) recipe.
My mother’s favorite brand of cookies are actually called Mother’s Cookies. Most Californians would recognize from their childhood, especially the pink and white frosted circus animal cookies. The company began in 1914, closed its doors in 2008, and reopened in 2009 after being bought-out by Kellogg’s. However, the product line was not completely revived — some cookies, like her beloved Flaky Flix, were gone.
During my childhood, my mother would buy herself Flaky Flix and hide the package from our grubby little hands. They were rectangular sandwiched wafers, filled with either chocolate or vanilla creme. They were covered in chocolate and rolled in cornflake crumbs – simple and delicious (and predating the Momofuku cornflake-crumb craze by a few generations).
Since you can’t find the Flaky Flix on shelves anymore, I decided to make a batch for my mother. It’s incredibly simple and tastes just as addictive as the original. At the core, this recipe is very simple — get good-quality fudge or vanilla sandwiched wafers, coat in melted chocolate, and roll in crushed cornflakes. The undercoat of chocolate, ganache chocolate coating, and cornflake caramelization can increase appearance and depth of flavor.
But if you keep it simple, you’ll be eating your cookies and reliving your childhood in under 30 minutes.
Wafers, sandwiched with fudge, rolled in chocolate and a caramelized cornflake crumble.
Homemade Flaky Flix
INGREDIENTS
1 package high-quality wafer cookies, either vanilla or fudge filled (like Italian Loacker wafers).
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Optional: 1 tablespoon creme and/or 1 teaspoon corn syrup
3/4 cup cornflakes
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Place cornflakes in a bowl and crush into smaller crumbs with your fingers. Sprinkle on sugar and salt. Add melted butter and stir to coat evenly. (Note: For simplicity, you can just use plain cornflakes without butter, salt, or sugar into a shallow dish and skip to step #3.)
2.) Bake the cornflakes on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 275 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the flakes are caramelized and golden brown. Pour into a shallow dish and allow to cool.
2.) Melt the chocolate chips over low heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until the chocolate is melted. If you wish, you can add 1 tablespoon cream to make a richer ganache topping and/or 1 teaspoon corn syrup too add shine and stability. Allow to cool slightly.
3.) Quickly roll the wafers in the chocolate to cover with a thin layer. See note for suggestions to make your chocolate layer thicker and prettier.
4.) After your cookies are covered in chocolate sufficiently, roll them in the cornflake crumbs. Set the cookies on a rack to cool until chocolate has hardened. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to cool more quickly if desired.
NOTES
If you wish to make prettier cookies, take a hint from baking. You can create a primary coating, like a “crumb layer,” of chocolate. Do the first dip and then set the cookies a rack to allow them to cool. Dip quickly, lest you melt the creme filling. Quickly roll the cookies in the chocolate again to cover thinly, and proceed with rolling in the crumbs. This will create a more perfect chocolate finish.
