COOKIE #10: ORANGE DROP COOKIES

So I always finish what I start, but the idea of cooking and blogging 51 different cookies is a bit daunting at times. Sure I’m not recreating every recipe from Julia Childs’ Joy of Cooking (think Julia & Julia…which when you think about it, would cost you thousands of dollars!), but 51 recipes is still a tall order for a blog virgin. With that said, I am super stoked to reach the double digits – cookie number ten. Progress!

Like my cookie shirt?? : )

I’m sure you’ll notice something very different about the way this recipe is presented. In my 1962 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, this recipe takes up less than a 2 inch by 2.4 inch corner on the lower righthand page. Because its written like a short story instead of in the usual recipe format, I have to play what feels like an ingredient word search to figure out what I’ll need.  BH&G could’ve cut the readers a break and highlighted or italicized the ingredients, but this layout is actually more typical of older recipes.  I have an even older “cookbook” that was my great aunt Martha’s from 1916, and almost all of the recipes in that book are written in paragraph format. Several other cookies in this BH&G cookbook are written this way as well. I have to be extremely careful not to accidentally skip over an ingredient or misread the table vs teaspoon measurements.

One strange ingredient I notice is the call for sour milk.  Ewww.  When I think of sour milk I think of milk that’s been sitting in the fridge past its ‘use before’ date. But I learn that sour milk is not the same thing as spoiled milk.  Sour milk is regular, good milk that has an acid added to it so that it curdles and becomes sour/tart. Drinking sour milk will not make you sick, though the taste may make you gag.  While drinking spoiled milk can make you truly ill. You can make sour milk by using 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to make one cup, then allowing it to sit for 5-10 minutes. 

Buttermilk is a type of sour milk and both can generally be used interchangeably.  I happen to have some buttermilk on hand from the cornbread I made last night, so I am going to take my chances and use that. I can’t stand the way regular milk smells, so I can’t imagine trying to purposely make it worse. Souring my own milk just doesn’t seem like something I want to try. I cross my fingers that the buttermilk works just as well.

Now these Orange Drop Cookies sound iffy. I’m worried that they won’t be very sweet. Every single recipe I see online for similar cookies have an icing or glaze that go on top of them, which would be divine, but not these cookies.  And I decide to add a cup of hazelnuts vs dates because the flavors sound more appealing. (There are a surprising amount of cookies that call for dates in this book. Geez, pick another fruit already!) The batter smells like sweet citrus and tastes okay.  The final product is a soft textured cookie with just a hint of orange and sugar. They aren’t bad cookies, but I imagine them with a confectioner sugar glaze and my tongue salivates. I decide to only bake two dozen of the cookies as is, and freeze the remainder dough so that I can make them with the glaze later on. I have 4 different types of sugar in my house (white, raw, light brown, & dark brown), but I don’t have any confectioner sugar, so my little experiment will have to wait. Luckily, most cookie doughs freeze well for 4-6 weeks. I’ll let ya know how the glaze turns out next time!  Only 41 more cookies to go!

Cookie Grade: D+, but possible higher grade with an icing of sorts, so there could be a curve coming…

Jacki, Me, & two members from Lit. Met them
at Warp Tour 1999. I was 16.

What I was jammin’ to: Lit - A Place in the Sun album, circa 1999

COOKIE #9: CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS

It only took nine cookies, but we finally introduce chocolate! Love Potion #9 perhaps? Now, apple pies originated in England, hot dogs came from Germany, but chocolate chip cookies are all American baby! Yes, good ole America is a melting pot of delicious cuisines, but we can take full credit for this cookie.  

A not so quick history: Like many great discoveries, chocolate chip cookies were made by mistake. Back in the 1930’s, Ruth Wakefield was making cookies for her guests at the Toll House Inn she ran near Whitman, Massachusetts. That evening, she had begun to prepare some Butter Do Drop Cookies for her weary travelers when she realized she was out of Baker’s chocolate. The she remembered that she had a semi-sweet chocolate bar that Andrew Nestle had given her. So she chopped up the chocolate bar and added it to the dough, thinking that it would melt and create an all chocolate cookie. Needless to say, it didn’t. Thank heavens, right?! Ruth served them up anyway and history was made. Her butter cookies with chocolate chunks were a huge hit and quickly gained popularity after the recipe was printed in a Boston newspaper.

This gem of Ruth's, called the Chocolate Crunch Cookie back then, was so popular that she made a deal with Nestle. They could put her recipe on their chocolate bars if they would give her with a free lifetime supply of chocolate. Good thinking Ruth!  Originally, Nestle chocolate was sold in bars and included a small chopper in the package. Then in 1939, the more convenient chocolate chip was introduced and Nestle continued to use Ruth’s Tollhouse name and recipe on its packaging.  

These famous cookies are by far the most popular kind of cookie in America. Seven billion chocolate chip cookies are eaten annually. Half of all cookies baked in American homes are chocolate chip. And The Toll House alone produces thirty-three thousand cookies each day. There is a lot of chocolate chip love going on in this country, all thanks to Mrs. Wakefield’s fabulous foible.

The BH&G recipe I use is pretty similar to Mrs. Wakefield’s original recipe, except that I am going to use shortening instead of butter and more white sugar than brown sugar. I choose chopped hazelnuts as my choice legume (a. because I like them, b. because they’re cheaper than pecans. I’ve spent a small fortune on nuts so far.)  And by request of my husband, I use a good rounded cup of chocolate chips.

While the first batch is baking, I get Annalie ready for her photo op by setting her up with the BH&G cookbook to hold.  I turn for two seconds to get the camera, and she’s ripped out a page and has it in her mouth! “No!” I yelp. She continues to try and rip another page out. “Why isn’t she stopping?” I think. Then I realize that this is the first time I’ve ever told her No!  (the first of many, I’m guessing) Of course she doesn’t know what that means. She’s a baby! I laugh and quickly take the pages away, snap a photo, and return her measuring cups to chew on instead.

Onto the tasting. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but since my pregnancy, I’ve grown to like it a bit more. And these cookies are awesome! Crunchy and chewy. The hazelnuts paired with the chocolate set up a flavor profile that reminds me of those delicious Ferrero Rocher gold balls. You know what I’m talking about. I would absolutely reuse this exact recipe if I were to make chocolate chip cookies again. This 50 year old recipe is timeless. 

Dolly came to help us today

These chocolate chip cookies are definitely something America can brag about. So, instead of saying its “as American as apple pie,” maybe we should say its “as American as chocolate chip cookies?”

Cookie Grade: A+ = hands down the most successful cookie made so far!

What I was jammin’ to: Maroon 5, and this love has taken control of me

COOKIE #8: PECAN CRISPIES

The first thing I notice right off the bat, look at all that sugar we get to add!  That’s the most sugar and highest sugar/flour ratio that I’ve seen yet, so I’m expecting a sweet cookie. And with pecans as the headliner, I’m optimistic.  

Another thing I see right away - this is the first recipe that contains both shortening and butter. (I will be using unsalted butter. FINALLY I get to feel like Paula Deen, adding a whole stick of butter, y’all!)  I know that you can generally exchange shortening and butter in cookie recipes (though not all baked goods), but I can’t think of a single instance where BOTH were called for.  Now that I think about it, it’s not a bad idea. Because both offer wonderful qualities to a recipe, why not combine their efforts?

Why use shortening? In baked goods, shortening yields a higher, lighter-texture than butter. Butter produces a more dense baked good. In the cookie world, because butter has a lower melting point than shortening, it causes cookies to spread faster and wider.  This results in a flatter, crispier cookie.  Cookies made with shortening do not spread as fast, so those cookies are lighter and rounder. This cookie is called a Pecan Crispie, so I’m guessing that the butter will help spread the cookie so that it will be a bit crispy, while the shortening will keep the cookie from becoming too flat or hard.  Good teamwork!



It was a perfect 2 1/2 cup brown sugar
castle...



Why use butter? There is no denying that butter offers a fabulous flavor, while shortening is pretty much tasteless (though I did see there is a butter flavored Crisco). Butter is a great option when you want that golden delicious taste to jazz up your recipe. It also compliments other ingredients, like vanilla and spices, and gives them an added flavor boost.  I am excited to see if I can get a hint of the buttery goodness in each bite of these crispies.  

As for the nutrition of shortening, butter, and margarine – they are all fats and can be consider both “healthy” and “unhealthy.”  I’m not going to argue the numbers, but I personally prefer butter, and then shortening, then margarine.  I love butter for the flavor and the fact that it is not a processed food. Margarine and shortening are made in factories by combining various ingredients, including preservatives and coloring.  Butter is made of simply butterfat (which results from churned fresh cream) and sometimes salt. For me, natural trumps processed every time.

She missed this late night baking,
so this was before she went to bed.
So cool she wears shades at night.





 I bake 58 cookies, and my first expectation is exceeded. These cookies are sweet. Like, so sweet they hurt my teeth.  I don’t eat a lot of super sweet things, so the first bite takes me by surprise, but then I'm okay with it. Once I get past the sweetness, I smile because this is what a homemade cookie should taste like – like butter. The richness of the butter comes through without question. And the butter in combination with the shortening gives this cookie the perfect cookie texture: extra crispity-crunchity on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.  I chopped my pecans extra fine and that might have been a mistake, because I don’t get a lot of pecan flavor. A hint of nuttiness, but if I had kept the pecans larger, they might have had a bigger impact.  

All in all, a good cookie. Because they are so sweet, you are satisfied with eating only a few. But there is no way I can clear these cookies on my own. So, my Dad and Grandma will be getting surprise cookies tomorrow!  

Cookie Grade: A- = perfect texture, buttery goodness, but a minus because it’s a bit sweet for me

What I was jammin’ to: my husband switching the TV between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.  Brushing up to see the final movie on Sunday. Thank you Dad and Karen for babysitting this weekend!

COOKIE #7: SOUR CREAM-DATE DREAMS

Lucky number 7?  Doesn’t exactly sound promising. I’m a little over the dates and spice cookies.  Oooo, a little sour cream… that makes it so exciting. Sarcasm, yes?  Poor BH&G didn’t have a very imaginative following if this made it into the “best of the best” from their subscribers. Perhaps they were just trying to make a cookie quota of sorts. I’m sorry to seem so Debbie downer on this one, but I’m just not that excited to get started.

I’ll just keep my little cookie monster nearby. She always cheers me up with her funny ways.

As I’m measuring things out, I remember to always measure brown sugar by packing it firmly in the cup.  As I dump it into the bowl, they makes perfect brown sugar cup castles.  And it got me thinking, the recipes don’t say whether to use light or dark brown sugar. I’ve been using light brown sugar.  Does it make a difference?

Brown sugar is white sugar that has molasses added to it. The molasses gives it a rich, deep flavor and also makes the sugar very moist. Light brown sugar is a little drier and has a milder flavor than dark brown sugar because it has less molasses in it.  Light and dark can be used interchangeably depending on your personal preference, so feel free to play around with both types. I personally love molasses, but will stick with the light brown sugar unless the recipe calls for dark brown.  The milder flavor won’t overwhelm a cookie’s other qualities.

Out of brown sugar (but have molasses by chance)? Then you can add one tablespoon of molasses to a cup of white sugar to substitute light brown sugar. Or add two tablespoons to substitute dark brown sugar.

Looking up this cookie beforehand, I came across this photo of the same recipe from an old BH&G magazine – September issue 1952, the year before the first cookbook came out.  My guess is that this recipe may’ve been in the original 1953 BH&G cookbook. I like how they call them the "perfect afterschool snack," though I don't think that kids would agree today. The only change in the recipe from 1952 to the 1962 edition I'm using, they've added 1/8 tsp more nutmeg. 

The extra nutmeg doesn’t do much for the cookie. The batter doesn’t even taste good, so you know that’s not a good sign.  The final product is bland in flavor, but nice in texture. The cookie is very soft and the walnut on top (a surprise ingredient considering it isn’t listed in the original ingredients) gives it a fun crunch. I’m guessing that the sour cream helped in the moisture department. But the lack of sweetness, plus the fact that I’m tired of spiced cookies, means that this cookie is less like a dream and more like a nightmare. Well, like a boring dream anyway.

PS - Did California put in a bid to market their walnuts in this cookbook??? This is the fourth cookie I've seen call for California walnuts. That means they're in 57% of all the recipes. And its the only ingredient I've seen that is accompanied by a proper noun. Why so specific on the nuts, yo?  

Cookie Grade: D = lacking in flavor, but still moist, so not a complete failure

What I was jammin’ to: the local country station

COOKIE #6: COCONUT KISSES

Besitos de coco.  A favorite treat in the Spanish speaking Caribbean islands, these Coconut Kisses can bring the tropics to your home even in the dead of winter. Or if you’re living in Texas in July, like I am, they can bring the tropics to the tropics. 

I didn’t find a good history on this particular cookie, but I did find alternate recipes galore. About half use eggs whites, as seen here, and the other half uses egg yolks. The latter is doughier, but BH&G must have decided that they liked the meringue approach better. If you’ll notice, this recipe is almost exactly like the Coconut Macaroons I made, except this one has added corn flakes, nuts, and a 1/3 cup more sugar. So I’m expecting a sweeter, heartier version of the macaroons. We’ll see…

I also noticed that the instructions were written differently than the previous recipe, even though the first few steps are essentially the same.  Surely the writer wasn’t that scatterbrained, so that only leaves one thought - These recipes must be written by various authors! Duh! I don’t know why I assumed that this cookbook was written cover to cover by one person, but I did. I take a look at the 2^nd page in the cookbook and there is a letter written from the Foods and Equipment Director to the “Homemaker”:

“This Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book is really your very own as it is made up of the recipes you and your friends – our readers from coast to coast – have shared with us. We believe it represents the finest cooking in the homes of America. Within these pages are the best of the thousands of recipes found excellent in our Test Kitchen in the past 20 years…Of course you’re a busy lady…Let this cookbook help you with those three meals a day.”

beat til "foamy"

So, two things.  One, this is a best of the best collection of recipes sent in by everyday people. So that’s why I’ve noticed little disparities between how each recipe is written. And two, this passage reaffirms my original sentiments on the kitchen 50 years ago – that it was a place for “busy ladies”, not men, and that women were expected to be much more domesticated than today. How often do you actually cook three meals a day? I LOVE to cook, but only accomplish that feat on rare occasions.  Today, I have girl friends who NEVER cook and I have guy friends who are quite handy in the kitchen (those lucky wives!). There is no question that roles have changed in the last half decade, so now let’s continue to see if our taste buds have changed as much.



You don't need this bag of pecans do you???


First off, the batter is awesome! I could've sat down with a spoon and eaten it like ice cream. The finished product kinda taste like Cracker Jacks, but with coconut.  The extra sugar and longer cook time gives it a caramel flavor.  Combined with the pecans (my choice of “chopped nuts”) and cornflakes that give it a popcorn-y touch, this would be a fun ballpark treat.  Or at least a good cookie to serve with a ballgame on. It’s chewy, it’s crunchy, it’s dog-gone-good.  Even my husband likes them, and he “doesn’t like coconut.”  I appreciate the extra tips that the recipe offers, like to soften the cookies in the oven if they happen to stick to the pan, but did not go with the suggestion to drizzle chocolate over them. A) because I wanted to try the recipe purely as-is, B) because I don’t care for chocolate. Some recipes online even have you dipping the entire cookie in chocolate to make it like a candy bar, which I admit, does peak my interest. John, my chocoholic hubby, covered a few cookies with chocolate syrup and reports that they are divine.


look at all that texture!

If I were to make this recipe again, now knowing it has a good base for add-ins, I might throw in some M&M’s and sunflower seeds to give it a trail mix vibe. Yummy. Coconut Kiss is the perfect name for this love of a cookie.  A cookie that’s worth making out with!



Cookie Grade: A = apparently, we can’t go wrong with coconut! I’d kiss this cookie good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night…

What I was jammin’ to: my bhangra mix cd, or as my husband calls it, “What the heck are you listening to?”

COOKIE #5: COCONUT MACAROONS

Wow, only 4 ingredients to Cookie #5. And after dealing with a cookie containing beef, this is a cookie I recognize with a smile. Maybe today we’ll finally have a grade A cookie! So what do I know about Coconut Macaroons? I know that I like them. And I know they have coconut in them.

What have I learned about Coconut Macaroons? That they are a type of meringue cookie that has been around for hundreds of years, appearing in recipe books as early as 1725.  Not 100% sure, but most believe that macaroons originated in an Italian monastery back in the 1500’s. Since then, the macaroon has held many shapes. In France, a macaroon is a colorful cookie sandwich. In the U.S., we generally think of coconut macaroons first, but they are often made with nuts as well.  And some macaroons have a jam filling. 

my soft peaks before adding sugar



A few people have asked me, why start a blog about cookies? Well, besides the fact that they are delicious, cookies have been around for over a thousand years (I’ll do a history lesson on cookies later). And the cookies listed in the 1962 BH&G cookbook seem to me like old souls with stories to tell. They remind me of a simpler time, before the frills of cupcake boutiques and high price tags. They are the oldie-but-goodies that have hung in there for at least the last 50 years, and I wanted to give them a nod of respect.



I'll take a cookie, Mama!  



Also, cookies are one of the most versatile items in the food world. Sweet, savory, salty, tart, you can add most any flavor profile into a cookie.  And they are the most forgiving baking item out there. Most times you bake, you must follow the measurements to the T, leveling off each item so just the right amount is added. And while this is true to an extent with cookies, they are much more flexible when it comes to what I call the “add-ins”. As long as your base is right, you can throw in as little or as many “add-ins” as you’d like! Candies, chocolate chips, dried fruits, bacon, nuts, sprinkles, etc. You can even be adventurous and add things like shaved carrots or cheeses. And besides unleashing your creative side, cookies are inexpensive! Most items in a cookie are basic household foods, like sugar, flour, eggs, and butter. Fun and cheap!



Back to Cookie #5, American coconut macaroons, like the kind you’ll find in the supermarket, are typically very dense, moist, chewy cookies. After looking at tons of recipes online, the recipe found in my ’62 BH&G cookbook is nothing like the traditional store-bought variety. Every recipe I looked at online contained condensed milk and twice as much coconut. I can see how those things would make for a denser cookie.  As for mine, they are lighter than air! I wish that my “stiff peaks” were stiffer before I added the coconut, but after 10 min of mixing, I surrendered. So my cookies spread a bit more than I thought, but they are still like eating melt-in-your-mouth-like-cotton-candy clouds that end with wonderful coconut flavor and a delicate chew. This recipe made 1½ dozen cookies and I wish there were more! It may not be a cookie that tickles everyone’s fancy, but its uniqueness and yummy coconut taste has me hooked. FINALLY, a cookie in this cookbook I’d make again exactly as it is. Yummmm… 



I'm 6 months old today!



Cookie Grade: A = heavenly cookie!  Wouldn’t change a thing.

so light, they could float away



 What I was jammin’ to: The Cat Empire (from Australia, in honor of my bestie Jacki’s bday today!)



Finally went & bought a timer. Best $1 spent! 





COOKIE #4 - MINCEMEAT DROP COOKIES

Seems fitting to find this recipe in a 1962 cookbook. I wonder how many cookbooks circa 2012 feature a mincemeat cookie? ok, MinceMEAT. My first thought? I’m gonna have to make cookies with chopped up brisket. Ick. Now I’ve heard of mincemeat, just like I’ve heard of figgy pudding, but I have no real idea with it is.  Yet I immediately assume it’s as gross as it sounds. 

I have to do some research on this cookie because I don’t even know where to buy mincemeat. At the butcher counter? Turns out, to my huge relief, mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and sometimes beef suet (raw beef or mutton fat), beef, or venison. Originally, mincemeat always contained meat and it was usually served as a main course.  However over time, more fruits and nuts and less meats were used, redesigning it as more of a dessert.  Mincemeat pie can be served with ice cream even.  And this mixture known as mincemeat can be found packaged in the baking aisle near the spices.   Whew.

So after searching the grocery aisle for awhile, I find the only jar of mincemeat. It looks like a brown chunky jelly that boasts raisins and apples. Doesn’t look terrible. Then I read the ingredients: water, corn syrup, raisins, dried apples, molasses, corn starch, vinegar, dried citrus peel, salt, spices, BEEF, bitters, fruit pectin. Wait a minute. Back this trolley up. It has actual beef in it.  There probably isn’t much in it (how do I know? read my following tip*), but that is besides the point!  My previous wariness of this cookie returns. 



*TIP: Ingredients are always listed from most prevalent to least prevalent. I’m always checking labels to be sure that some synthetic ingredient isn’t listed first.

The mincemeat I buy is considered prepared, so I use one cup of that in the recipe and omit the milk like instructed. That only puts a dent in the 27oz jar I bought, so now I have a partially used jar of mincemeat in my fridge. Though I have no clue what else I’ll use it for, I just can’t bring myself to throw it away yet.

I get the cookies in the oven and anticipate the smell of pot roast cooking, but luckily that wasn’t the case. The cookies turn out to look and smell a lot like the Hermits I made earlier, with the spicy profile, raisins, and nuts.  My husband eats the first cookie – and he likes it!  He was disappointed that they don’t taste like steak, but is pleasantly surprised. I take a taste as well, and he’s right. No meaty flavor at all. They tastes like spices and molasses, and are actually the moistest cookies I’ve made yet.  They’re actually the best cookies I’ve made yet!  I’m learning very quickly that you can’t judge a cookie by its cover. I doubt that the mincemeat cookie will make a comeback anytime soon, but I wouldn’t complain. Perhaps Wendy’s could add them as a new item for their “Where’s the beef?” sologan?

Before

Cookie Grade: B+ = yummy recipe, but still struggling with the meat part

After

What I was jammin’ to: the Annalie and Daddy band, featuring many pots and pans

COOKIE #3 - CHERRY WINKS

What an adorable name for a cookie! You’ve got a one-eyed Cyclops of a cookie flirting with you! Anything personified is my kinda humour. And I love cherry anything. I’m one of those gals that always wanted the red popsicle growing up.  Mostly because I love the flavour, and partly because I used to want to wear it like lipstick. When I had my tonsils out at age 5, they asked me before the surgery what kind of popsicle I wanted when I woke up. I KNOW I told them cherry, but when I came to, they had grape (gasp!) waiting for me instead. And then came the tears. The story goes, that I woke up groggy and told them I wanted purple. But there is NO way that would have happened. To this day, I think they just forgot.

Two cookie monsters today!

The Cherry Wink cookie made its first appearance just slightly before the original 1953 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook was published. The original recipe was created by Ruth Derousseau, who won the Junior First Prize for these cookies in 1950 at the second Pillsbury Bake-Off contest.  They are traditionally Christmas cookies since they are darned with either red or green cherries. I looked up the original recipe that won the contest and BH&G must have wanted to separate themselves from Pillsbury, because there are several differences in the recipes.

My happy helper - Romelito

The original recipe doesn’t call for lemon peel, calls for corn flakes (not wheat flakes), calls for pecans (not walnuts), and dates (not raisins). And this is the only recipe I’ve seen online that calls for candied cherries.  All the others, including the original, call for maraschino cherries. Well, here is how dedicated I am to these recipes – I made my own candied cherries. I searched for them in the grocery store, but couldn’t find them. And with a baby in tote, I wasn’t about to go gallivanting all over Houston to track them down.  So, I made them myself beforehand.

How? Drain a 16 oz jar of maraschino cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Combine the reserved juice and ¾ cup of sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the cherries, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 min - 1 hour, until the cherries are slightly shrivelled and firm to the touch. Remove from the heat, uncover the pan, and let cool completely. Then remove the cherries and let them dry on a paper towel. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to six months.  Ta Dah!  And they're really tasty!



My 4th o' July Baby! 



First time sifting!

Now onto the baking.  I have a surprise cookie monster in the kitchen helping me with every step – Romel, my friend Mary’s son. He was in charge of the wheat flake smashing, egg cracking, and flour sifting. He did such a great job! Maybe a little chef in the making?  The cookies turned out to have a distinct lemony tang to them. Surprising what just a tsp of lemon peel can do! And the wheat flakes gave them a giant crunch factor.  That’s the good stuff.  The disappointing part was that the candied cherry only added a chewiness to the cookie and no cherry flavour at all.  Waw waaaaw.  I’d like to incorporate some of cherry juice and chopped cherry to the batter next time to maybe give it more of a “red” taste.  Cute cookie, looks awesome, but I hope the original recipe was better than this, otherwise I have no idea how this cookie won Junior First Prize of anything.

Can you spot the blinker? (vs the winker)

Romel and Annalie

Cookie Grade: C = good in theory, lacking in taste

What I was jammin’ to:  the inner workings of a 7 year old’s mind, nonstop. lol