dark chocolate preacher cookies

This recipe is loosely adapted from a church cookbook that I found at my mother in law's home over the weekend.  While we were visiting, most of the family was outside building a massive wooden swing set/ fort thingy.  However, I was stuck inside during Katie's naptime and grew bored quickly.  What else was there to do, but to bake?

source

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
3 heaping tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 stick of butter
3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter


How To:
Mix together the sugar, cocoa powder, and the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly for three minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add oats and peanut butter.  Mix well.  Scoop heaping spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.  Ready to eat in about ten minutes.

These cookies are good all by themselves, but are absolutely delicious with a glass of milk. 

empty tomb cookies

Though we are on "spring break" this week, my children and I are going to spend some time talking about what Easter is really about.  I was looking for fun activities that we could do to illustrate the Easter Story when I came across a recipe for Empty Tomb Cookies.

One Palm Sunday several years ago, I made something similar to this with my Sunday School class.  Instead of cookies, we baked Resurrection Rolls.  The lesson went well.  The children enjoyed being in the kitchen and were very attentive.  While the rolls were baking, we made construction paper palm fronds to carry with us into the sanctuary for worship.

However, in stumbling across this recipe for cookies, I think I have found an even more meaningful activity to do with my own children.  The author outlines activities throughout the lesson that will serve to provide a hands-on understanding of the Easter Story.  Additionally, for each step in the baking process, she provides Scripture to read and discuss.  She completes her tutorial with lovely photographs of her children and her cookies (which look delicious, by the way).

I think my favorite part of the entire recipe is when the children tape the oven closed the night before Easter and allow the cookies to bake overnight.  This gives them something more substantial to be excited over on Easter morning, rather than just what the Easter bunny may have brought.  While our family does the whole Easter bunny ~ basketful of candy ~ hidden egg thing, I really want to work to impart more meaning in the treasured holiday.  This may be our perfect way.

Easter morning, 2010

the little sandwich cookie which could

... cause me to gain ten pounds overnight.

At least, that's my best guesstimate.  Because I ate not one, but two of these heavenly wonders.   After dinner tonight, I wanted a little something sweet.  Okay, I really wanted a warm, chewy, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie.  But, horror!  We were out of chocolate chips.  Not just almost out, but completely out.  I'll have to add that to my Sam's Club list for this week.  That, and another 10 lbs of flour and some cocoa.  Because I've been doing THAT much baking recently.  Yeah.  Ten pounds right on my ass.

Anyway, we were out of chocolate chips, but we had half a container of Hershey's cocoa powder and a bag of confectioner's sugar.  Then, I remembered this recipe that a friend had shared a while back.  I just had to go there.  Now I have a whole tray of cookies waiting to be iced.  Am I complaining?  Heck no.

Here's the recipe, but you really need to hop on over to smitten kitchen to read the author's funny little tales that go along with each recipe.  She really is my favorite internet cook.

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg
For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Finally, I just want to share that I'm honored to have been chosen (at random, fine, but still...) to be this week's Featured Blogger at Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop (that's a mouthful!).  Please link up below, if you so wish, and be sure to follow the first three (plus me!) blogs on the list.