Hot Cookie - the Archive

#37 Trios (2007) Trios, just before baking. These thumbprint cookies, arranged in threes, were the most colorful of those we baked during our daylong cookie extravaganza (see December 20 post). We filled the holes with a trio of apricot, currant and raspberry jams, each one a festive ornament. My niece and sister-in-law liked using the end of a wooden spoon to poke the holes in the dough balls. The technique gave a uniform and professional effect. As instructions go for thumbprints, these were a bit high-maintenance. The dough wanted to be chilled before rolling into balls and again after forming and filling each cookie with jam. I think one or both chills can be eliminated because the dough seemed plenty firm to hold up to rolling and poking. The recipe is here . Angela melts the chocolate in the double boiler and spreads it on the dough (right). #38 Mocha Toffee Bars (1987) Besides the cashews and chocolate, the best part of this recipe is the "What's ...

Sandwich cookies with more oats than Irish. What makes an Irish coffee cookie? Coffee, Irish whiskey and cream would be my guess. They are all ingredients in this cookie's sandwich layers and in the filling. Sounds like the start of a creamy-smooth coffee dessert with a kick, right? You'd be wrong. This was the '70's, remember. Back to nature. Granola reached the mainstream. Whole grains were worshiped. These cookies were victims of the era. The first problem is the heavy dough. It contains twice as much oats as flour. Doesn't that take you back? I really should have stopped right there, thrown in some raisins and nuts, and let them be the oatmeal cookies they longed to be. But no, I trudged on. Is it dough or continental drift?  Oh, there go Iceland and Greenland. Or is that Australia and New Zealand? I dutifully rolled out the dough. It became a lesson in continental drift on my counter. I massaged it back together and tried to cut entertaining shapes...