Cookie Fail

Bland-bore--ees

I had higher expectations of the "Jamborees" (above) from 100 Grand National Recipes Collected for You at Pillsbury’s Best 8^th Grand National, 1956, especially since I used a jar of really good homemade peach jam in them. They should be right up my alley, but they came out bland, without the melt in your mouth texture and flavor of shortbread. What I should have made with that jam was these:

Jam Dandy Muffins

Sift together and make a well in the center:

1 2/3 cups flour

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

2/3 cup sugar

Add:

1 egg

½ cup oil

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup drained crushed pineapple

Mix until all flour is moistened. Drop batter into 12 well-greased large muffin cups. Fill half full. Combine ¼ cup apricot jam and 2 T chopped nuts. Place a teaspoonful on top of each muffin. Bake 400° F for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from pans immediately. Serve hot.

Now my quandry is, what do I do with a batch of yucky cookies. I could try filling them with something and turn them into sandwich cookies. I could frost them. I could glue some Menu Magic walnuts to the tops and hope for the best. What seems to be impossible for me is to just throw them away. I hate wasting food and the challenge of salvaging them goes straight to my stubborn streak. Stay tuned.

I’ve still got apples to use up, which means I’m also eyeing this from the same Bake Off:

Apple Skillet Cake

Melt 3 T butter in heavy skillet measuring 10 inches across top. Remove from heat and add 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar.

Add 3 cups peeled apples, sliced very thin and 1/3 cup raisins.

Sift together:

1 1/3 cup flour

2 t baking powder

½ t salt

Cream:

1/3 cup shortening

¼ sugar

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Blend in 2 egg yolks and 1 t vanilla.

Add dry ingredients alternately with 2/3 c undiluted evaporated milk, beginning and ending with dry. Blend thoroughly after each addition.

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold in.

Pour batter over apples in skillet.

Bake at 350°, 35-40 minutes. Turn out of skillet upside down immediately. Serve warm, plain or with whipped cream.