The New Cookie

Dear Mom,
The cookie recipe for this week is from one of Diane Mott Davidson's culinary mystery books.  Title of the book unknown--oops.  I was clearly more interested in the cookies and not so much the mystery.

Vanilla-Frosted Fudge Cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 egg whites, unbeaten

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2-3 Tbsp. skim milk

additional unsweetened cocoa powder

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together; set aside.  Mix together the oil, sugar, 1 tsp. of the vanilla and the egg whites until well combined.  Stir in the flour mixture.  Chill 1 hour.

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large non-stick cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray.  Using a 1/2-tablespoon measure, scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and cooked through.  Do not overcook.

Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.  Mix together the confectioners' sugar, skim milk and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla until pasty.  Add skim milk if necessary.  Spread a small amount of vanilla frosting on each cookie.  Put the cookies back on the rack, dust lightly with cocoa powder and allow the frosting to dry. Makes 4 dozen cookies

So now the "real" process.  I used bigger than 1/2 tsp. scoop so this batch only made 2 dozen cookies.  We also didn't dust with cocoa powder because we wanted to eat them right away; no allowing the frosting to dry!!!  These cookies didn't last an hour in the house.  They were delicious!!!!  Soft in the center; crispy on the edges.  Sweet all over.  I will makes these cookies again and again, probably with the same results---gone in under an hour!!

The Diva made the frosting and Pippers did the actual frosting.

I want to thank everyone for their kind, sweet comments from yesterday.  It is some kind of wonderful knowing that we are all strong women that can lift each other up with kind words and deeds.
In the top picture, the Diva is wearing a sweater ("Libby") that I knit from a pattern designed by one of my favorite blogging friends. My New Friend To Knit With (please come and knit with me; we can bake cookies together, share a coffee and everything really will be okay--thank you so much for that encouragement!)!!  I finished the sweater this week and have been waiting for a sunny day so I can take pictures (may be awhile).  I LOVE the sweater and the pattern is uber fabulous . . . . I can't wait to "show it off" on the blog soon.
Go make these cookies; eat them up!  Enjoy your weekend!!
Love,
Wendy

How I've Learned You Can Never Say Never - OR - Is He Still My Hero?

Dear Mom,
You might think that after all those years working for the pedodontist- the years before I became a mother when I boldly stated on hundreds, perhaps even thousands of occasions, "My kids will NEVER do that!" that after becoming a mother and eating most of those bold statements, I would have learned to never say Never.
As in, "I will never have another puppy."

Except My Hero (is he still My Hero?) must not have been listening because he came home from work with this.

Yes, it is the classic Puppy in the Dark on the Side of a Busy Street Story. Found by someone who couldn't keep her (of course), given to someone in an apartment and at work all day (of course) and that journey brought her to our house.

To say that things are turned upside down is an understatement. We can't even decide on a name for her.

But she already has someone who loves her.

Love,

Kim