Monday, June 25, 2012

Secret Recipe Club - Rocks!

My assigned blog this month in the Secret Recipe Club was Kudos Kitchen by Renee. In addition to making tasty, healthy food, Renee has a special talent of painting. She does fabulous decorative tiles, bowls, and glassware.  You really should go check out her work - and maybe even visit her Etsy shop. There's a lot of eye candy there!

But on to the food.  I found all kinds of things I will be making on Renee's blog. But the recipe I made almost immediately was Rocks.  Yes, Rocks. Renee had been given a vintage cookbook from the 1930s, and found a handwritten recipe for these cookies inside. Don and I had been wanting some cookies, and these came together quickly.  The dough is similar to that for chocolate chip cookies, but with a little cinnamon thrown in.


My cookies came out looking different from Renee's - mine flattened out while hers retained some height to them. Maybe it's the altitude, or it might have been the fact that I used a silpat while Renee used parchment paper. No matter.  The taste was wonderful, and these are definitely on our "do again" list!

Rocks

1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
3 well beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of walnuts

Preheat oven to 350˚. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add gradually to sugar/egg mixture.  Stir in raisins and walnuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet topped with parchment paper or a silpat.  Bake 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned. (Renee's recipe called for 15 minutes - but in my oven that was way too long.)  Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Even the cookies that I thought were a bit overdone really weren't.  These stayed chewy even after they'd cooled completely. That's the way I LOVE my cookies.