Here
we are – two weeks out from Christmas and one week into the new year – and we
have made just one trip to the grocery store (outside of buying milk) just to
pick up a few items. I buy a lot of food before Christmas so
that I have on hand everything that anyone could want. (There’s no quick trip
to the market from the farmhouse.) In addition to having a surplus of food due
to the holidays, I also have to make room for the contents of the farmhouse
fridge. I’m trying to use things up and also combine containers.
I
discovered a brand-new carton of cottage cheese in the back of my fridge the
other day with an expiration date of Nov. 9. Yikes! Upon examination, it still seemed
good. I have this theory that if products remain sealed in the fridge, they
will last beyond the expiration date, but what would be the best way to use it
now? Of course, Bess would be happy to have it on her food, but I remembered a chocolate
cookie recipe I used in the ‘70s. I lost track of it years ago, but as luck
would have it, I found it as I was reviewing Mother’s recipes. Here it is:
COTTAGE
CHOCOLATE COOKIES
2
cups butter or margarine
1
cup brown sugar
1
cup white sugar
1
cup cottage cheese
1
T vanilla (yes, a tablespoon)
2
eggs
5
cups flour
½
cup unsweetened cocoa
1
tsp soda
½
tsp salt
1
cup chopped nuts
1
cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Powdered
sugar
Cream
butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add
cottage cheese and vanilla; beat thoroughly.
Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift
together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
Stir
in nuts and chocolate pieces.
Form
into one-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.
Place
on greased cookie sheet. (Parchment paper worked great!)
Bake
at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yield: 6-7 dozen cookies
This
makes such a big batch that it was difficult to mix. It could easily be halved,
and another time I would do that. I was just so determined to use that cottage
cheese! Also, I discovered that I had no powdered sugar, so I did without, but it
did make a difference in the end product.
This
recipe was printed in the “Bon Appetite” section of the Washington Water Power
Family Gazette, August 1976. The home economist was Mona Mitchell. Back in the
day, I looked forward to this little flier, but eventually it all went away. I’m
not sure we have home economists any more – or even who owns our utilities company. But
back in the day, Mona was great. KW
2 comments:
I loved that little flyer that came with the light bill! I guess we have the internet now, and can look up recipes for anything (which I do!), but it still doesn't equal the pleasure of finding a new possibility in the WWP (also long gone) bill. Kinda of a treat with the sting. Glad you found your recipe and saved the cottage cheese!
I enjoyed the flier, and I know Mother did, but in its latter years I heard criticism -- resentment that WWP was paying a staff to publish the Gazette, especially the home economist. I look up recipes on the internet, too, but on any given day, it presents me with more than I can use.
So -- yes, I just googled "Cottage Chocolate Cookies" and found recipes -- not quite the same, perhaps better. My dough was really stiff.
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