we all know someone who we get excited to think about coming to a potluck or party with because they make that one great appetizer or dessert? In Baltimore I was sort of the dessert diva, although our friend Ellison Anne was far better at it then I!  For some reason I havent been able to find that “niche” yet here.  Last week there was a party and they hinted at a prize for best dessert and I was so excited. Sadly I didnt know how fierce the competition was, and got blown out of the water by some chocolate covered cherries that looked like mice, and it was somewhat unfair as some of the desserts were store bought!!  but I went all out, turning what we now call my “german chocolate” cookies into mini muffins. I lined my mini muffin pan and filled each up w/ some cookie batter then put some chocolate chunks in the middle on top.  (the dough itself includes oats, chocolate chips of varying sorts, coconut, and sometimes nuts)  My initial reason for using the mini muffin pan was it makes 2 dozen at a time and clean up is minimal due to the muffin liners.  I took those to the party and as stated above didnt win the “best dessert” prize, I was kind of bummed about it!  I also made some to accompany the meals I made for two families in our moms group who recently had babies. Today I received a thank you card and in it she asked if the desserts were home made, to think someone thought they were good enough to be store bought!!
I received an email w/in the last week sometime requesting I make my “snickers” cookies to a get together I’m attending tomorrow night. (peanut butter cookies w/ mini snickers bars inside)Â I take pride in being asked to bring something and something I am good at making.
The downside to being good at baking cookies, I have a cookie dough problem. the problem is I eat too much of it!! Even now my belly is bloated from over indulging in cookie dough and mini snickers bars!
But it’s nice to not only be invited but be asked to bring something, I’d definitely rather that than being told not to which could mean they didnt like what I brought last time!! 🙂
a side note to our recent cookie baking adventures, we’ve started substituting flour w/ whole wheat flour.  Originally we did completely away w/ the white flour but then read up and Dean found you should do half and half(kind of like you can do w/ splenda in some baking recipes to lower sugar intake).  It makes the “german chocolate” cookies taste even more delicious. I’m not sure if it’s just me or not but it makes the “snickers” one definitely taste different, not bad, but different.   Dean of course loves it and even mentioned he likes the taste the whole wheat flour adds, he keeps saying it’s heartier. I guess maybe that’s my problem, cookies that are heartier means you’ll get full quicker and wont eat as many….that ruins my whole addiction problem, or makes it worse if I still over eat!!
off to finish up baking for the day….
