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!


Sunday, October 17, 2010

Cookie Recipe #288 - Batwiches


Two chocolate-chip-cookie-like bats filled with ice cream and edges rolled in sprinkles makes a great Halloween treat.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, Halloween sprinkles.

Instructions: In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening. Add brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. Mix in chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Using a bat cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Insert a drinking straw at the top of the bat shapes for the eyes. Place cutouts on ungreased baking pans about an inch apart. Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Allow ice cream to soften slightly before spreading a liberal amount on bottom of a bat cookie, then topping with another, pressing carefully. Roll edges in sprinkles and immediately wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream refreezes, at least an hour.

Makes 1 dozen batwiches.

Parts of "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Cookies", Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, IA, 2003, and "Great American Cookie Collection", MM International Masters Publishers AB, Pittsburgh, PA.

Cookies Rule!!!

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