The Ghost of Cookies Past

Pictured lovingly above is my favorite childhood cookie that has been out of production since the 90's. Since then, I have been inconsolable...seriously. Like most adults, I have memories of simpler and happier times in life that are stirred by the memory of certain scents, songs or flavors. And though I cannot remember when exactly it was that I had eaten them last, I can assure you that was a very enjoyable half hour of pure munching bliss.

In this small box, just the perfect size and dimension for little hands to grasp, was a wax paper bag filled with about 10 or 12 discs of chocolate goodness that were each no bigger in circumference than a golf ball. They were flavorful, crunchy and tasted better with each bite. Nabisco's Chocolate Snaps had no gimmicks. Nothing sparkled or tattooed your tongue with artificial flavors. Aside from the adorable bear drawn on the cookie on the box, they had no flashy mascot. They were simple and probably full of lard but they were mine.

And so it goes without saying, that one never knows what one has until its gone. I solemnly vow to keep trying recipes to bring back that taste and those memories. If I had known then that they would be discontinued, I would've put a box in my time capsule.

Chocolate Snaps Part Duex


3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup vegetable shortening ( I prefer Spectrum Naturals Organic-it's vegan, kosher and gluten free)
1/3 cup of unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1 cup baking cocoa
1 ounce semi sweet chocolate-melted
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
2/3-1/2 cup milk (or soy, rice, lactose free milk)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients together with a hand mixer or stand mixer Make sure there are no chunks of brown sugar left whole in the bowl . Then add cocoa, melted chocolate, salt, baking soda and powder. At this point, the mixture should look dry, but you should be able to pinch it and it will form small lumps. Add both eggs and then slowly add milk as you mix. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl and should be moldable. By hand, start to pull the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl until any loose mixture is incorporated into the dough. If the dough still feels dry, slowly add small amounts of milk and hand mix until the dough just sticks to your fingers. Remove dough from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove dough from the fridge and roll small 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make as many as you'd like! You will have ALOT of dough, please wrap some up tight and freeze some for the future!

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Cool on rack and taste the memories.