Saturday, June 23, 2012

Pantry Cookies

I'm a big fan of the Food Network's program Chopped.  Have you seen it?  I love watching the chefs open their basket of mystery ingredients and try to beat the clock, as well as their competitors, while attempting to make an appetizer, entree, and dessert out of the unusual combination of ingredients.



This week my dear friend's father passed away and as they would need to drive to Mississippi to attend the service, I would get to take care of their basset, Franklin, for the long weekend. Food, to me, is a comfort in any situation.  If I am upset or sad..I'm in the kitchen.  If I am happy..I'm in the kitchen.  What better way to show I cared than to bake some cookies for the family to nosh on while on the long trip home so off to the pantry I went.

I originally decided to make my son's favorite, Ranger Cookies, but I discovered I was out of chocolate chips.  Now anyone who knows me would be shaking their head in disbelief as they know you can always find chocolate chips by the bagful in my pantry.  As a confessed choco-holic I"m not sure how this happened. As I stood there woefully wondering what to do, my eyes landed on the bag of soft granola that had been languishing in the pantry for months.  Costco, a few months back, had been offering samples of soft granola with a buy 1 get 1 offer.  Have you noticed that samples in the stores always taste better at the store than when you get them home?  Why is that?  My family did not find the first bag as delicious as promised and they informed me that granola should be hard not soft, so the second bag was relegated to the pantry.

When I cook I usually don't follow too many recipes, except when baking, preferring instead to grab some ingredients, think about what flavors I want, and cook away.  I decided that this lone bag of granola would be the mystery ingredient in my cookies.

I took 2 sticks of butter out of the fridge, always a staple in my fridge, and started creaming it in the mixer.  When it was light and fluffy, I added sugar until it tasted sweet enough. I then added a couple of eggs and knowing I need some chemical action going, I added about a teaspoon of baking soda and some salt. I mixed this well and then added the granola.  Hmm...a little soupy.  I added flour until it looked the consistency of cookie dough.  Now to season..a generous splash of vanilla, a heaping spoonful of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves, and a larger pinch of nutmeg. I tasted the dough and WOW it tasted pretty good! Scooped them out onto the pans and baked at 350 until they were browned around the edges.


I received a text from Cherie that they were delicious and her husband said I needed to recreate the recipe.  Rob came home from Omaha and finished off the cookies.  He too wants me to recreate the recipe.  Success!  I am the Chopped Champion!!!

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