The One Cookie That Got Away

         I love, I mean I love going to the grocery store. I love grocery stores in my town, I love grocery stores in your town, I love grocery stores in Chinatown. No matter what country I am in I want to see the groceries and markets! I adore looking at all the little things they carry, and what the heck is in these jars, bottles, bag and boxes? This love for the groceries dates back to my youth. I was a cowgirl in a steel cart I’d ride! Perched high in the cart our first stop would be the bakery in the Bashas’ market. Bashas’ always had a free cookie for any kid that rolled into their store (genius!) I would stare at the glowing glass display. Almost all kids get chocolate chip cookies, but not me! More times than not I would get a Mexican Wedding Cake Cookie. How could you go wrong with a baked good that has "cake" and "cookie" in the title? 

    Maybe it was the crunchy, crumbly sweetness that drew me. I relished every bite. It was inescapable that upon nibbling that last bite you look as if you had either been in a snow storm or you had just concluded an evening of partying at Studio 54 with The Jaggers’, and for the rest of the shopping trip your powdery mug was a badge of honor for you and a lesson to every child you passed. You could see the sense of failure and regret as they looked down at their mediocre, half eaten, chocolate chip cookie and nodded in acknowledgment of your superior cookie picking skills.

     One warm and wintery day in Phoenix I went to Bashas’ and found something new behind the glass. A peppermint crunch cookie?! Was I frightened to try something new? No, not me. It looked just like a MWCC how could it be bad? It needed to be mine. I fearlessly pointed out the cookie, and the kind lady in the heinous red visor handed me one of the best cookies I would ever eat. Each time I returned I would look for that cookie, but we would never meet again.

It makes me sad to remember that day and know 2 things.

1.)    The best cookie I have ever had was in 1985!

2.)    I really can’t eat cookies the way I used to (which is probably a blessing).

     I now find myself a bit older, and once again enjoying slightly cooler winter days, and I want some cookies! Instead of assembling the Christmas tree (that currently sits in a box on my floor) I get out the mixing bowl, the sugar, and look for that one cookie that got away.

Peppermint Crunch

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. Earth Balance, softened
1 ½  t. GF peppermint extract
1 t. GF vanilla extract
1 cup rice flour

1 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp. salt
optional:
¼ C. crushed peppermint candy

Preheat oven to 325°F.

 

First a note on crushing candy: I don’t have a food processor…but I have a hammer! You get the idea.

In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter, and extracts until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, salt, and almond meal.

Mix until dough forms. Shape into 1 inch balls, or candy cane shape. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. Watch closely until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet, cool slightly and roll in powdered sugar. Let cool completely and roll again.

You can easily make Mexican Wedding Cookies with this similar recipe:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Earth Balence, softened
2 tsp. GF almond extract
1 tsp. GF vanilla extract
1 cup rice flour

1 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp. salt
optional:
1 cup finely chopped or ground almonds or pecans (baking instructions are the same).

Happy cookie making!