Community Magazine November 2009

A ccording to an urban legend, a Neiman- Marcus customer who tasted this cookie at one of their stores was so impressed, she asked to buy the recipe. When she was told it cost “two fifty,” she accepted, but was then flabbergasted to find out that she was charged $250 instead of $2.50 as she had assumed. For revenge she published the recipe in a dozens of newspapers. While the story bears no shred of truth, the recipe is genuinely delicious Urban Legend Cookies Ingredients: 2 cups butter or margarine • 2 cups sugar • 2 cups brown sugar • 4 eggs • 2 tsp. vanilla • 5 cups oatmeal, blended • 1 tsp. salt • 2 tsp. baking soda • 2 tsp. baking powder • 4 cups flour • 3 cups nuts • 24 oz. chocolate chips • 1 (8 oz.) Hershey bar, optional • Directions: First cream the butter, sugars and eggs. • Then add the rest of ingredients with the nuts and • chocolate chips last. Refrigerate for 1 hour. • Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet. • Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. • Yields 112 cookies. • T his famous French pastry actually originates in Italy according to legend, when Catherine de Medici brought the recipe for cream puffs from Italy to France in 1533. Over the years the recipe for puff pastry went through several incarnations until, as fate would have it, Antoine Carême perfected it. Now you can perfect your own variation with this tasty recipe. Fluffy Cream Puffs Ingredients: 1 cup water • ½ cup margarine • 1 cup flour • 4 eggs • Directions: In 1½ quart saucepan • heatwaterandmargarine to a rolling boil. Stir in flour vigorously on a low heat until it forms a • ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat in eggs one at a time • with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet. • Bake on 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until • puffed and golden. Allow to cool in oven With a skewer, pierce a small hole on the side and fill • with whip cream or pudding of your choice. Dust with confectioner’s sugar or chocolate glaze. • Chocolate Glaze Ingredients: 1 cup chocolate pieces • 2 tbsp. margarine • 1½ tsp. honey • 1½ tbsp. nondairy creamer or orange juice • 1½ tbsp water • Directions: Melts on a double boiler the • chocolate and margarine Add the rest of the ingredients and stir • over the flame until it melts together. Spread immediately over éclairs. • Rena Chehebar RECIPES: Legendary Cookies & Cream Puffs 56 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE