Cookies

Hello,

Leroy announced, “I need to take three dozen cookies to a meeting.”

“Ok,” I said, “Just go buy some.”

“They specified homemade,” he said.

Then the anxiety just seemed to grow as I have not made cookies in three or four years. I look at cookie recipes and I am appalled at the proportion of sugar and oil to other more healthy ingredients. And it reminds me again that we give these things to children as something good. Maybe the taste draws them in but there is little goodness with it. By goodness I mean something that contributes to health. I am not sure why veggies that are loaded with nutrition got such a bad rap.

I looked over some recipe books and recipe cards. I finally settled on a recipe that I had never made, but it only required one cup of sugar and ¾ cup peanut butter. These cookies are needed on Tuesday. I made them today, but not without difficulty. The stiff mixture was so unbearably difficult to stir until I remembered my hand mixer that touted its ability to stir the stiffest dough. Well that mixer lived up to its claim; however the dough was so dry that I could not form it into the required balls.

Leroy wondered if it was because my peanut butter is only peanuts without added oil and sugar. That could be a factor. Also it used whole wheat flour and that seems to have varying levels of dryness. What do to? I remembered in the distant past adding another egg so I tried that with little success. Leroy suggested that I might add some oil so I did that. It almost hung together. Then Leroy suggested that I put it in a pan and make bars. That suggestion worked or at least appeared good.

It baked ok, but how to tell when it was done? I confess to being quite mystified by that. When I did finally take it out, I tried cutting it up. That was difficult, but was accomplished after much perseverance. I tasted some and thought they tasted good. However, will anyone else think the same? Maybe no one will ask Leroy to ever bring cookies again. Leroy will give them the taste test. If they fail, I will try to make some oatmeal raisin cookies. I hope I can still make them. Course I will have to buy butter as I have nothing in the house that qualifies as shortening. Or perhaps we can find some place that makes homemade cookies.

I should also reveal tell that these cookies have a cup of sesame seeds and a half cup of coconut in them. I had some of the usual store bought sweetened coconut in the house so I put that in rather than my unsweetened variety. Do you think anyone else will think these are sweet? I certainly do. However I think many other things are much too sweet and others appear to like them that way.

I have to confess that I did eat several pieces that broke off. Now my stomach does not feel good. It certainly is not used to so much sugar and oil.

Paula