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!


Monday, October 25, 2010

Cookie Recipe #296 - Coconut-Orange Tartlets


Bursts of orange amongst chewy coconut and nestled in a cookie cup describes today's cookie.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg. Filling: 1 egg, 4 ounces (1/4 cup)flaked coconut, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon grated orange.

Instructions: Place flour, sugar and salt in large mixing bowl; cut butter into flour mixture and blend with fingers until thoroughly mixed. Beat egg slightly; pour over flour mixturee and stir with fork until moistened. Gather dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.

Make filling: mix egg, coconut, sugar and orange peel in small bowl; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For each tart, press about 1 teaspoon of dough onto bottom and sides of each cup of an ungreased mini-muffin cup pan. Fill each tart with about 1 teaspoon of filling. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven until filling is golden brown, about 12 minutes; cool slightly. Gently tap tartlets from pan or use a sharp knife around the edges to release. Cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen.

"Betty Crocker's Cookie Book", Western Publishing Company, Inc., Racine, WI, 1981.

Cookies Rule!!!

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