It’s hard to believe it’s been 35 years since we first learned that aliens love peanut butter candies and that you can communicate with other planets using a Speak & Spell toy. These insights into the science fiction universe came courtesy of the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which debuted in theaters in 1982.

The heartwarming film about friendship and yearning for home made every child wish they had an alien friend… as well as a flying bike. As an homage to everyone’s favorite alien pal E.T., we’ve baked up a few cookies in his likeness, complete with glowing bellies that are filled with his favorite candy: Reese’s Pieces. Fix up a batch of these otherworldly cookies yourself to celebrate 35 years of Elliot and E.T.’s extraordinary bond. Don’t forget to phone home to share the recipe.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Cookies
(makes 4 stacked cookies)
You’ll need:
E.T. template (below)
1/2 cup butterscotch candies
1/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
Chocolate icing
White icing
Black icing

Cookie ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the egg until combined, then add the flour mixture. Once the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer, the dough is ready.

Divide the dough into two pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

Use a mallet or a food processor to crush the butterscotch candies into a fine powder. Keep in an airtight container and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment.

Roll out the dough to 1/2-inch. (Three cookies will be stacked to make one whole cookie.)

Use the template to cut out 3 cookies. Place them on the baking sheet. Leave the first one as is, this is the base cookie.

For the second cookie, cut a hole out of the center for the belly area. This is the middle cookie that will be filled later.

Finally on the third cookie, cut out the belly area just as you did with the second cookie—but fill this one with the crushed butterscotch candy powder. Press evenly so that it reaches all the sides of the cut out.

On this same cookie, use leftover dough to create E.T.’s brow shape and nose. Use the tip of a paring knife to create his mouth area.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, use icing to stack the second hollow cookie onto the base cookie. Fill with Reese’s Pieces.

Use icing to stack the top cookie (with the butterscotch center) onto the second cookie, enclosing the Reese’s Pieces in between both the top and bottom cookie.

With a #3 tip, pipe brown icing to create the base of E.T.’s eyes and face details.

Use a #3 tip with white icing to create the whites of his eyes, and a #3 tip with black icing for his pupil. Add a touch of orange icing to his finger, if desired.

Once the icing is set, the cookies are ready to serve. Break open the cookies to reveal the candies inside.