A New Cooky Recipe

When your baby is asleep and your three-year-old needs something fun and messy to do, where do you turn?  The kitchen, of course!  If you're going to make a mess it might as well taste good, amiright??  Not to mention the close vicinity to a sink and lots of towels.

Well, the other night that's exactly where I found myself.  In the kitchen looking for a new cookie recipe to try.  I only had one egg and was short on a couple of other ingredients, so I decided to try my hand at creating my own cookie.  Now, I am no cookie-making extraodinaire like my mother is.  (As a side note:  If you haven't been over to her blog, go.  Now.  Order cookies.  They are gorgeous and delicious.)  However, I have made a cookie or two in my day, so I just started pulling out some of the basics.  Here's what I settled on.  I call them Nutty Chocolate Cooky Bars.  Noah calls them tasty.  Either way, they turned out great.

Nutty Chocolate Cooky Bars

1/3 c shortening

2/3 c butter

1/2 c granulated (white) sugar

1/2 c light brown sugar

1 egg

1 c white flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c cocoa powder

2 c chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 375*.  Combine shortening and butter in a mixer.  Blend.  Add egg, mix until combined.  Add dry ingredients except for nuts.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in nuts.  Press into large bar pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until set.  Let cool and slice.  Enjoy with a glass of milk.

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And wouldn't ya just know that they make the perfect make-ahead mix for the cabinet?

If you decide to make these, please leave a comment for me so I'll know what you think of them!