Chocolate Icebox Cookies

I had a vague image of this recipe from my childhood--Grandma Oty used to make them--and managed to find the right recipe on About.com. It was in the Southern food section, though I think of them as quintessentially mid-Western. They are so easy! I love the mildness of the chocolate, because you can taste everything else: the butter, the brown sugar, the walnuts.

Cocoa Icebox Cookies

· 1/2 cup butter

· 1 cup brown sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1 egg

· 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 2 tablespoons cocoa

· 1/2 cup finely copped walnuts

In mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, blending well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa; stir into creamed mixture, blending thoroughly. Stir in walnuts. Shape into a roll about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap roll in waxed paper and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Slice roll into 1/8-inch slices. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Note: I increased the cocoa by 1 tablespoon and reduced the flour the same amount.

Brownies

I made our favorite brownies this week. I also had a gall bladder attack, but perhaps it's a stretch to link them.

This recipe is so useful because it uses plain old Hershey's cocoa, in fact it came from the back of a cocoa tin. The brownies are rich and, if you don't overbake them, gooey.

Fudge Brownies

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix eggs, sugar, and melted butter in food processor. Add flour, cocoa, and salt. Process lightly until mixed. Add vanilla and nuts, and process a few seconds.

Scrape into an old Marie Callendar's pie tin, greased (or and 8x8 baking pan) and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

My favorite ways to serve these are with coffee ice cream, or with fresh raspberries and raspberry sorbet.