New Twist on Cookies

One night for our homegroup, I was looking for a snack to make.  I always like to do something a little different if I have time.  After all, you can only have chocolate chip cookies so many times.

All right, that's not true.  I just like to have something different.

I searched through my binder, where I keep every recipe that I think I might make.  As an aside, my dessert notebook is the fattest one.  No surprise there!

I found a recipe from King Arthur Flour called Dutch Chews.  They looked interesting and I finally had all the ingredients.  Cornflakes, coconut, oatmeal, and chocolate chips.  Sounds yummy, right?  They were!

Oh, and be sure to use a mixer - or be in really good shape.  These are pretty tough to stir by hand.

Dutch Chews
2 sticks butter (I use salted even when it calls for unsalted - I just like the salt in with all that sweet!)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp molasses (I know it seems like too much to bother, but if you have it, it does make it taste good)
3 large eggs
1 cup (4 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 oz) whole wheat flour (let's pretend this ingredient makes them healthy, shall we??)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (3 oz) cornflakes
2 cups (7 oz) old-fashioned rolled oats
2 2/3 cups (7 oz) sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.  Use parchment paper, silicon sheets, or grease your pans.

Cream butter, sugars, and molasses together.  Add the eggs and beat until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Mix in flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add cornflakes, oatmeal, coconut, and chocolate chips, stirring until evenly blended.

Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons (I used a scoop a bit smaller than a tablespoon and found they were a good size) onto prepared baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes for softer cookies, or up to 16 minutes for crisper cookies.

Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.  Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 4" cookies (since mine were smaller, it was probably about 72).  As a bonus, the smaller cookies I made worked out to only about 100 calories each.

Rib Rub

For those of you who don't know my family very well, I have one picky eater.  I figure that's pretty good out of four.  And he's really not even THAT picky, compared to other kids.  He eats split pea soup, sloppy Joes, and tacos.  He loves pulled pork, too....but not if it has sauce.  I was stumped for awhile as to what to do with that, but I have been won over to the dry rub side of life.  It's nowhere near as messy and you really get to taste the pork.

Oh....did I not mention we're talking pork??  Sorry, Texans.

I often use "country style" pork ribs when they're on sale, but pork butt can also be used.  If it's ribs, then rub each individual rib.  If it's pork butt, then you have to cut them into steak-sized pieces, otherwise the cooking time is changed, and so is the flavor (not as good).

And the rub is from.....you guessed it....Cooks Illustrated.  I can't tell you enough how much I love their recipes.  I almost always tweak them just a TINY bit, but I can safely make any of their recipes for the first time and KNOW it's going to turn out right. Each batch is enough for about 7 pounds of pork.

Here's my ever so simple method:

Rub ribs (with rib rub - and the longer you can let them sit, the better - 8-12 hours ahead is great)
Wrap ribs (in foil)
Roast ribs (300F for at least 3 hours)

And the spice rub.  Make lots, because it'll go fast.  All these spices should be ground, obviously.

4 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp table salt
1 Tbsp white pepper
1 Tbsp oregano (well, THIS one shouldn't be ground!)
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (obviously this one can be scaled up or down to your taste)

After the meat cooks and cools a little, I pull it apart with forks or fingers.  You might like to grill it afterwards.  I serve it with homemade rolls, coleslaw, and cowboy beans.  Those are other recipes I'll put up later!

Enjoy!