Posted by on Jan 3, 2017 | 12 comments

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Well, mama made these cookies for the little anthros and one was in the shape of a witch (see above), sort of.  At least part of the head as there was a pointy hat on what looked like a hooked nose and sort of ticked-off mouth and she said it was the Befana, which is the witch who comes to Italy on the 5th of January and gives out candies and things to little kids–well, just read the lore because it is much more interesting than my cursory take on it.

I am a bit worried because the Befana comes to give things to ANTHRO kiddies, not kitties!

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But, I benefitted from mama’s cookie dough, and even though it was chocolate and I only got a sniff and a tiny piece about the size of half a black-eyed pea (!), I was awfully happy with that.  Make that about a quarter of the size of a black-eyed pea…maybe it was even smaller than that.

Chocolate crispy cookies from Loulou (okay, okay, mama of Loulou)
1 1/2 sticks soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus sugar to dip your flattening device (a small water glass) into
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Lindt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ounce grams unsweetened dark chocolate, melted slightly to mix in easily

In your food processor or a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light, add all the rest of the ingredients and pulse until they are mixed. Remove the dough to a bowl and if it is sticky at all, add a small bit of flour until it does not stick to your hands.  It will feel buttery.Put the dough in a bowl and take off walnut-sized pieces, roll them into little balls and put them on a baking sheet, four across with spaces in between. I get about 16 cookies to a sheet.With the bottom of a small water glass, flatten one cookie, then dip the glass into granulated sugar and flatten all the rest, coming back to the first one last.  It simply gets the bottom of the glass moist enough not to stick to the cookies.Bake for about 15-18 minutes at 185C.Let cool on paper bags, cut open to make room for all the cookies.  This makes about 50 cookies, depending on size of balls you make. You can make them larger than a walnut or very tiny cookies, whatever you wish.

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Dough should not stick to you hands but feel buttery.

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Dip the bottom of a little glass in sugar before flattening the balls.

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These are really good with milk, THEY tell me.  But what do I know?  I think it’s pretty thoughtless to make crispy chocolate cookies right in FRONT OF ME and then have me smell them baking and then not giving me ANY TO MUNCH.
Ah, well, mama gave me some Purina Party Mix to appease my suffering spirit…
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WHAT IS THAT I SMELL?
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Okay, I’m appeased.  Whatever that is.