My 13-year-old son surprised me at the grocery store.
He spotted one of the small magazine-type cookbooks that are sold near the checkout, and it contained nothing but Christmas cookie recipes. He asked me to buy it. That was hardly a surprise -- he asks for stuff all the way through the grocery store, and he's got an insatiable sweet tooth.
"I've got more recipes than I can make in my entire lifetime," I said firmly. "I'm not buying another cookbook."
Here's what surprised me: he decided to use his own money and buy the book for himself. It was only $4.99, but this is a kid with a limited income, and he usually uses it to buy video games or Nerf gun darts.
The book is called Best-Loved Cookies & Bars, and it's published by Taste of Home. He has systematically gone through the cookbook and bookmarked the recipes he'd like to make.
The first recipe he tackled was just before Thanksgiving (I did spring for the ingredients). He took his Chocolate-Mint Sandwich Cookies to our family's Thanksgiving celebration, and received great reviews. The cookies were chewy and the filling was quite minty.
Considering all the surprises that can come from a 13-year-old boy, I'm thankful for this one. I'm looking forward to tasting more experiments from his surprise purchase.
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies
From Taste of Home, with minor changes
Cookie Ingredients:6 tablespoons butter, cubed
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Filling Ingredients:2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 drops green gel food coloring
Dash salt
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, water and chocolate chips. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Cool. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the chocolate mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. (Danny used a small cookie scoop). Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients until smooth. Spread on the bottoms of half the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen sandwich cookies.