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.

Eggrolls for Special Moments

Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a Ladies Only Sleepover Party at my home. Sixteen of my favorite ladies and I had an awesome evening of conversation, wine, punch, dancing, music, laughter and food. For such a special occasion, I thought it best to debut my latest creation:

Eggrolls for Special Moments

Makes approx. 12-14 servings

Vegetable oil for frying
1 pkg won ton wrappers (at room temperature, since they are more pliable and less likely to tear when rolling)
1 can black beans (undrained)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce -chopped(or 2 if you like the smokey flavor)
3 tbsp chopped green chiles
2 small avocados-halves, pitted and sliced in 1/2" slices
3/4 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa for dipping/saute liquid

In a small saucepan,on low heat,combine the brown rice, black beans, chipotle pepper and green chiles. Stir until mixed. Let the flavors combine in the saucepan for approx 2-3 minutes...be sure to add some salsa to the rice mixture if it starts to get dry. Add cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.

While your rice mixture is cooking, fill a frying pan with vegetable oil until the surface of the oil is about 1/2" high. It seems like a lot of oil, but that amount will ensure that your eggrolls are cooked evenly when you flip them over. Heat the pan on medium for about 4-5 minutes. On a dry and clean work surface (no need to flour), start to lay out your won ton wrappers. They should lay flat on the diamond bias, not the square bias, so you can fold them like an envelope.

When your mixture is thoroughly heated, spoon approx 1 1/2-2 tbsp of the rice onto the center of your won ton wrapper. Top with a slice of avocado and wrap the won ton (there should be instructions on the won ton package). After all of your wont ons are filled and wrapped, carefully place them in the heated vegetable oil with the open flap side down. Fry until golden brown and then flip, fry other side until brown.

Repeat the process until all of your won tons are crisp and delicious...Drain on paper towels or on a clean brown paper bag. Serve with salsa for dipping!

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Thanks to Libby for bringing Girl Talk to the sleepover and thanks to Erin for having the good sense to buy it for Libby as a gift last year! We were too busy dancing and eating to play it...but my crystal ball forsees future sleepovers....

the newest addition to the household

Our brand new oven with a 6 burner range! That's right, I said 6 burners! First things first, I'm going to attempt for the second time this recipe that I found online.

CHOCOLATE SNAPS (using cocoa)
Makes 7 dozen

1 1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. soda
4 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and beat; add cocoa, milk, and vanilla and beat. Add remaining ingredients and chill.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Form in balls size of walnut and place about 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 12 minutes.
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There is some claim that it's an original recipe from Nabisco for Chocolate Snaps. ....It's not. The first time I made these, they came out too soft and chewy and they seriously lacked the chocolatey flavor that I have been craving since Nabisco stopped making these cookies in the late 90's.

I would ask for these cookies if I had a last meal request. Seriously.
I know that the taste of these cookies are very similar to another cookie that Nabisco still makes called "Famous Wafers" and the list of ingredients is pretty much the same...But there's a difference in texture, thickness and crunch. I am going to try to re capture all of these necessary elements by modifying this recipe.. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Shedding Some Light

I'm shedding some light on an affliction known to its' sufferers as "Refrigerator Blindness". This condition refers to the act in which one stands before an open refrigeration unit searching endlessly for something to eat. Often times, the unit is full of options waiting to be enjoyed, though the sufferer doesn't seem to recognize these options , hence the "blindness". Sometimes, there simply isn't much to work with and the afflicted must make do with very little.And so...

A Feast of 4 Ingredients

*This recipe serves one hungry person but can be multiplied to any amount...the sky's the limit, folks!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic-minced
1 cup steamed kale, spinach or collard greens (you may substitute frozen greens, just be sure to drain them of all liquids first)
1 link vegetarian Italian style sausage (my favorite are Smart Sausages from the Lightlife brand)
1 medium/large sized Baked Russet Potato
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste


Heat olive oil on medium-low in a skillet, add sausage link and brown until cooked through. Remove sausage from pan and lower heat. Add minced garlic and saute until cooked (but not burnt!) about 2 minutes. While garlic is cooking, chop sausage into bite sized pieces. Return the chopped sausage to skillet, then add greens. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and lots of black pepper. Mix well and cook through until heated. Cut open baked potato and fill with sausage and greens mixture. . Enjoy!

P.S. The above recipe is a variation on a dish that my mother used to make called "Pork Butt". It had a terrible name but it tasted delicious! It was a wonderfully low cost, but filling meal that was perfect for a cold, snowy night.

The Beginning

It is always best to start at the beginning.

This is me, aged roughly at 2 1/2 years old, enjoying a classic meal of hot dogs and yellow corn. . Please note the decorative woven paper plate holder and 70's wall decor. Also apparent in this moment is the intense interest that I have in devouring this bounty of boiled franks and nutrition-less canned vegetables. . I can still remember how this food tasted and the joy I felt of having it prepared for me...lovingly cut into toddler bite sized pieces by my mother, no doubt.. This was no gourmet meal, but one for the frugal and practical. It was a meal that most of us have eaten and a meal that most of us have probably tried to forget that we've eaten. These are the moments that start it all, an interest, a spark, a passion. The frozen memories that we have run hand in hand with the sights, tastes and smells of our favorite foods. And our new experiences mark occasions like calendar days of our lives. I can't recall what birthday gifts I received on my 30th, but I can tell you what I had for dinner. It was a grilled chicken salad from Cuban Revolution and I enjoyed it with my sister and brother in law. I remember it like it was yesterday....