Leader Enterprise - Oct. 10, 2018 - Cookies!!

Chocolate Mocha Crinkle Cookies

From "Bits & Pieces" booklet..

IN THE ‘TEST KITCHEN’ OF LIFE

A young woman was complaining to her father about how difficult her life had become.  He said nothing, but took her to the kitchen and set three pans of water to boiling.  To the first pan, he added carrots, to the second, eggs, and to the third, ground coffee.  After all three had cooked, he put their contents into separate bowls and asked his daughter to cut into the eggs and carrots and smell the coffee.  “What does all this mean?” she asked impatiently.

“Each food,” he said, “teaches us something about facing adversity, as represented by the boiling water.  The carrot went in hard but came out soft and weak.  The eggs went in fragile but came out hardened. The coffee, however, changed the water to something better.”

“Which will you be like as you face life?” he asked.  Will you give up, become hard – or transform adversity into triumph?  As the “chef” of your own life, what will you bring to the table?

After a hot summer, I like to think about baking cookies to take a chill out of the house.  So I’m sharing a few favorites with you here.

This recipe can easily be cut in half. But they do freeze nicely.

SPECIAL SUGAR COOKIES 

2 c. buttermilk

2 tsp. baking soda

2 c. oil

3 c. sugar 

(I use 2-1/2 c.)

4 eggs

6 c. flour

6 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tb. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450*. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. 

In small bowl, place buttermilk and baking soda; allow to stand while mixing oil, sugar and eggs in large bowl. Add buttermilk mixture, beating until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla, beating until well blended. 

Drop by tablespoonsful onto prepared cookie sheet; sprinkle with sugar if desired. (Don't be alarmed - dough will spread quickly) Bake 5 - 6 minutes. (You'll be amazed how high and fast they rise.). Remove to wire rack to cool. Allow cookie sheet to cool a couple of minutes before baking next batch. Yield: about 5 dozen 

CHOCOLATE MOCHA CRINKLE COOKIES 

1 (16 ozs) box devil's food cake mix

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. instant coffee

(or less...depending how much of a coffee lover you are)

1 Tb. VERY hot tap water

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  In small bowl, dissolve coffee in the water; set aside.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla, and coffee, using a wooden spoon; blend until smooth. 

Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Drop mounds of dough - about 1" - (I find it's easiest to use my medium cookie scoop) into powdered sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. You could also use one spoon to push dough off another, as the dough is a bit sticky. 

Bake 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.  Freeze in airtight container if desired.  Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on size

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES IN A WINK (No Flour)

1 c. creamy (or crunchy) peanut butter

1 c. white (or brown) sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 325.  In medium bowl, combine all ingredients (I use a wooden spoon) until well blended.  Allow dough to set 10 minutes (it will make it easier to handle).  Roll into 1" balls; place on ungreased baking sheet.  

Bake 8 - 9 minutes; remove from oven; cool on cookie sheet about 3 minutes until set; remove to wire rack to cool.  They will look a tad underdone when you want to remove them from oven but finish baking on hot cookie sheet.  Yield: about 2 dozen 

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus, Greek Philosopher