Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook

Chapter 37

Place the sugar-coated cookie b.a.l.l.s on a greased cookie sheet. (Andrea used parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray on top of a cookie sheet.) Place 12 cookies on each cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F., for 10 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for no more than 2 minutes, and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. (This is easy if you line your cookie sheets with parchment paper - then all you have to do is grab the corner and pull it onto the wire rack.) Yield: 3 to 4 dozen yummy cookies, depending on cookie size.

DOUBLE FLAKE COOKIES.

DO NOT preheat oven dough must chill before baking.

This recipe is from Lisa"s cousin, Betty Harnar. Betty"s cookies are slightly different than the ones we make at The Cookie Jar, so if you don"t like them blame us. If you love them the way the folks in Lake Eden do, please give Betty all the credit.

1 cup melted b.u.t.ter (2 sticks, 8 ounces, pound)

3 eggs

1 and cups white (granulated) sugar

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut extract (if you don"t have it, you can

use vanilla extract)

1 and cups flour (no need to sift pack it down in the

cup when you measure it)

2 cups instant mashed potato flakes

1 cup coconut flakes, firmly packed

cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (measure AFTER

chopping)

approximately cup white sugar in a bowl for later Melt the b.u.t.ter. Set it aside to let it cool a bit.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whip them up with a whisk for a minute. (They don"t have to be fluffy, just thoroughly mixed.) Pour the sugar into the eggs and stir it all up. Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and coconut extract. Mix well.

If the melted b.u.t.ter is not so hot it"ll cook the eggs, stir it into the egg mixture.

Add the flour in one-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Measure out two cups of mashed potato flakes and add them to the mixture. Then add the coconut flakes. (If you"re like me and you don"t care for stringy coconut, chop it up in a food processor with the steel blade before you add it to your bowl.) Once the coconut has been mixed in, stir in the chopped nuts and mix thoroughly.

Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better.

When you"re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the center position.

Form b.a.l.l.s of cookie dough, 1 inch in diameter, with your hands. Roll the b.a.l.l.s in the bowl of granulated sugar and place them on a greased cookie sheet (I used Pam - you can use any nonstick cooking spray), 12 sugared dough b.a.l.l.s to a standard-sized sheet. Flatten the b.a.l.l.s a bit with a metal spatula or the heel of your impeccably clean hand.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until Double Flake Cookies are golden around the edges. Cool them on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: Approximately 8 dozen yummy, crunchy cookies, depending on cookie size.

Mother likes these best as sandwich cookies. I spread one cookie bottom with chocolate frosting and sandwich another cookie on top. (The bottoms should be together, making the cookie sandwiches slightly convex.) Bertie"s customers down at the Cut n" Curl like them best if the sandwich filling is raspberry jam. I think that"s because the chocolate melts if they eat them under the hair dryers.

Hannah"s Note: You"re really supposed to chill this dough, but if you absolutely positively can"t wait to bake them, you can. Just be prepared to wet your hands frequently as you roll the cookie b.a.l.l.s so the dough won"t stick to them.

FUDGE-AROONS.

DO NOT preheat oven this dough must chill before baking.

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup b.u.t.ter (2 sticks, 8 ounces, pound)

cup brown sugar

1 and cups white (granulated) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

3 and cups flour (not sifted pack it down when you

measure it)

Put the cup of chocolate chips and the cup of b.u.t.ter in a 4-cup measuring bowl and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, take it out and set it on the counter to let the mixture cool while you do the next step.

Combine the brown sugar and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the two beaten eggs.

Check the chocolate chip and b.u.t.ter mixture. If it"s cool enough to touch, add it to the sugar mixture and stir thoroughly.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, stirring after each addition.

Cover your bowl and refrigerate it. This dough must chill for at least an hour. (Overnight is fine, too.) The coconut ("aroon") filling must also chill. Mix it up now.

COCONUT FILLING:.

2 cups shredded coconut