We are introduced, at an early age, to the sweet wondernous of a cookie. From teething cookies to soothe the swollen aching gums of incoming incisors, onto animal crackers purchased in rectangular-shaped boxes bearing a string handle for easy toting by little fingers. Deciding which part of the animal should be eaten first-the trunk of the elephant or the tail of a lion-depended on how hungry one was. Savor each and every one or simply gobble them down as fast as possible.

My next cookie memory would be the ever famous, possibly all-time favorite, the chocolate chip cookie. There is nothing better than to bite into a round circle of baked dough sprinkled with gooey melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. A chocolate chip cookie can dry tears, heal broken hearts, mend scraped knees and elbows and solve sibling arguments. Most of the problems in the world could likely be solved by a properly baked, right out of the oven, chocolate chip cookie. The power of a cookie is underestimated.

I will attempt in the next 365 days to prepare and comment on a year’s worth of different cookies-one for each day. My goal is to share with others my extreme love of cookies-baking them and especially eating them! Feel free to send me your favorite recipe, your earliest cookie memories, or how cookies may have influenced your life. Cookies Rule!


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cookie Recipe #256 - Coconut Crunch Pretzel Bars


This cookie bar begins with a cake mix as a base for the bar and is topped with a mixture of butterscotch & chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. The crushed pretzel addition gives it that sweet and salty taste.

Ingredients: 1 package German Chocolate Cake Mix, 1/2 cup crushed pretzels, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted, 1 egg, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup dark corn syrup, 2 eggs, 1 cup pecans, chopped, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 2 1/4 cups flaked coconut, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Prheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pretzels, melted butter and egg; mix at low speed until blended. Press in bottom of greased pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crust puffs and appears dry. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup and 2 eggs; mix until blended. Stir in pecans, butterscotch chips, coconut, and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly over partially baked crust. Bake an additional 30-40 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. (Center will not be set). Cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Continue to cool for one hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars. Store in loosely covered container.

Makes 36 bars.

This recipe was presented by Jane Parsons, Gray Court, South Carolina in "The Million Dollar Bake-Off Cookbook", published by The Pillsbury Company, Minneapolis, MN, April 1996.

Cookies Rule!!!

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