The way it crumbles....

Today was my first day back at school in a new semester of culinary management. Tomorrow I'll be in the land of cookies as my class and I undertake the arduous task of baking some 2000 cookies for charity. Maybe. Tomorrow also happens to be a scheduled province-wide student walkout protesting a pending teacher strike that has the potential to set students back a full year in their programs.

It's a pretty crap decision to have to make. I love baking cookies, and doubly so for charity; but I also want to voice my opinion on this strike issue, especially if a yes vote on the strike means another year before I graduate.

I already know I'm going to school tomorrow, but I'm not going to learn or even have my attendance taken. I'm going to help make cookies, and that is all. Now, as my title suggested; a cookie recipe (my favorite):

Mayan Chocolate Sparklers

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup shortening
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chocolate chips
  

Method:

1. Beat shortening, butter and sugars until creamy.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing until incorporated.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Roll in 1” balls, don’t flatten.
6. Roll into cinnamon and sugar topping.
7. Place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2” apart.
8. Bake @ 350° F for about 10 minutes (should still be soft in center)

I made these for the first time this past Christmas and I see no reason why they shouldn't make it into the regular rotation. Despite the title of this post, these cookies are exceptionally soft and moist with no crumbling tendency at all. The pepper gives them a nice little unexpected kick. Truly good food for a picket line. :-)




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