Photobucket - Video and Image HostingMy husband came home with a story this past weekend about a co-worker who recently bragged that his wife had already burned through a 40-pound bag of flour making holiday cookies. Holy calories, Batman! I hope you’re giving those sweet bites away to friends and family! Despite my commentary, however, I started thinking COOKIES. I took out my cookbooks, thumbing through tried-and-true recipes for brownies, ginger cookies, peanut butter middles, etc… I gave myself a stomachache just thinking about it. Then this a.m. I wake to find today’s Wordsmith word-of-the-day is

flummery (FLUHM-uh-ree) noun

1. Any of various desserts made of flour, milk, eggs, etc.

2. Empty compliment; complete nonsense.

So I’m thinking it’s a conspiracy, and I should just cave in and make some cookies already, but I’m also trying to get my head back into my characters post-Disney, so I wonder: What kind of cookies would my characters like? Chocolate for my heroine, naturally (c’mon, what did you expect of me?) and something a tad sophisticated or at least complex for my hero, who has a British grandpapa.

What would Jack Sparrow eat? Rum balls, naturally.
And Elizabeth? Hmm, those tea cakes, I think, covered in powdered sugar.
(Those pics, by the way, are from the 3rd installment of Pirates, now in filming…)

How ’bout you? What kind of cookies are you (and your characters) craving?

Lastly, yes, I know tying this post into anything writing related has been a real stretch, so don’t bother emailing to tell me how relevant and lovely it was. I will know, immediately, that it’s pure flummery. ;) But don’t let that stop you from sharing your favorite recipes. One of my best-loved recipes follows…

Magic Peanut Butter Middles

Filling:
3/4 c peanut butter
3/4 c confectioners sugar

Cookie dough:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c margarine (softened)
1/4 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Mix well.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar, margarine and 1/4 c peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combing filling ingredients and blend well. Roll into 30 one (1) inch balls.

For each cookie, with floured hands, shape 1 Tablespoonful of dough around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-9 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool on wire racks. Decorate as desired.

Makes 30 delicious cookies, perfect for gifting.

Write on, all, and good luck with the baking! 

Therese Walsh co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006. Her debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, sold to Random House in a two-book deal in 2008, was named one of January Magazine’s Best Books of 2009, and was a Target Breakout Book in 2010. She's never been published with a lit magazine, but LOST's Carlton Cuse liked her haiku best on Twitter, and that made her pretty happy.
Therese Walsh
View all posts by Therese Walsh
Therese's website

9 Comments »