Page 86 in the old book / page 129 in the new book
These cookies have a crumbly oatmeal walnut base, a sweet chocolate middle, and more of the oatmeal mixture on top, as well as an added sprinkling of walnuts. They're good, but too sweet for my taste.
This recipe, as do a number of Maida Heatter's cookie recipes, calls for instant coffee. On the other occasions when I've used it, I couldn't identify the flavor in the finished cookie and just presumed it added to the overall effect. In these cookies, though, I felt there was a harsh (instant) coffee flavor that even rose above the excessive sweetness. No one else commented on it, so it may not have been noticeable to anyone but me.
I didn't get Phils comments before he left on vacation, but the opinions of the rest of the panel varied widely...
Suzanne: "I'll be on a sugar high all day. The cookie was extremely sweet. So sweet, that I found it hard to eat. Rating - 2.0"
Denny: "Best Oatmeal cookies ever! Really. Rating - 5.0"
Laura: "Tasty... but not sure how well I care for the combination of the oatmeal/walnut with the chocolate. Rating - 3.0"
Overall rating by the panel - 3.3
Next week - Dark Rocky Roads
Nutrition Facts
4 comments:
I'm personally waiting for the Rocky Roads, but since these are so sweet, I think I'd like them with my coffee (which I drink black). They certainly look supreme.
I wonder if Maida's book is very much a product of its era, when most people only had exposure to milk chocolate candy bars, and very sweet lollies. I think Julie noticed the same thing in the Julie/Julia project; she noticed that so many desserts were too sweet and candy-bar like - evidently pre easy availability of dark chocolate in America!
Hi Nic! Yes, coffee alongside would definitely help. I just made the Rocky Roads for next week and turns out they're quite sweet too.
Hi Niki! I'm sure that must be the case - though, semi-sweet chocolate was certainly readily available in the 70's. I remember my Mom always preferred it over milk chocolate. But I do think our tastes have changed over time.
These are scrumptious and they are my most requested recipe. I leave out the walnuts and make sure they are just baked. Over baking makes them crunchy as opposed to chewy. They are a crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults. Rich but tasty.
Be sure to try Maida's Rugalach! They are beyond delicious!
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