My husband selected this gem of a cookbook for me for Christmas, I believe. I have long entered our local county fair with sewing and far less successfully - baking. I don't have time to do it this summer, so I'm baking from this book. But I had a little issue with these.
Before I delve into this, did you see the comment on the Peach Cobbler entry - I think it's two entries before this? My friend Sarah put another, lighter version, that looks easy! Yeah! I will have to get more peaches and try that one. I love that kind of input on this blog!
Back to the Problem Pudding Cookies. This 1988 cookbook has little paragraphs from the cook about where this won a prize, and comments. Here is this one:
"I have always received blue ribbons on this cookie recipe," write Alicia Thiele, who adapted it from a recipe she found in a magazine years ago. "Although everyone loves this cookie, I am always surprised at the number of people who have never had or even heard of pudding cookies."
Ok - I figured I can't go wrong with these, right? Um.
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
3/4 brown sugar
1 box (3.5 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use a pinch)
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels (I didn't have enough, so I threw in butterscotch also.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get an ungreased cookie sheet ready. (OK, try about 5. I missed that part about 'makes 7 dozen' at the end of the page. You'd think after the muffin incident I'd get this, but sadly, no.)
Cream shortening, sugar, and brown sugar together. Stir in vanilla pudding. (OK - big problem here. I did not know if this meant the pudding mix from the box, or prepared as pudding. So I dumped in the box. I am thinking now that I was supposed to prepare the pudding.) Beat eggs lightly and stir them into pudding mixture. (That should have been a clue, but by that time I had already put in the powdered pudding.) Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into pudding mixture. Blend well and fold in chocolate morsels. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cooking sheets and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
This batter held together well despite my mixup, and the cookies turned out ok, just very sweet. Plus some of them were hollow on the inside - big caverns. Plus I have a ton of them, now. My preschooler likes them.
My Grandmother's recipes which I have been trying to transcribe for my brother and sister assume a lot of things like this recipe does. I need it all spelled out, and sometimes I don't understand it even then. I may try this again with actual prepared pudding.
I had two little boy friends of my son over last night for a few hours. I trade date nights with my friend from junior high, and it was our turn to host. They were lots of fun, but I'm rethinking my 4 children plan. At least my son went to bed early!
3 comments:
I've never heard of a pudding cookie. Were they cakey in texture??
My peach crisp turned out super. I used a bag of frozen peaches and the topping was very buttery and sugary. I also threw in a handful of frozen blueberries because who doesn't love blueberries and peaches together?
I'd have to say they are more crunchy. The look and texture reminds me of the almond cookies you get when you order Chinese food, with a large pocket of air in the middle. I'm guessing they were supposed to be moist, though.
So not knowing what a pudding cookie was isn't a regional thing. I was thinking it was. How funny.
I'm going to try your peach cobbler with blueberries - that sounds wonderful!
The peach stuff also calls for 1/4 tsp salt, and 3 T honey in the topping (which was an unusual addition, I thought). I hope it turns out well for you and you like it!
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