me want COOKIES!!!

Today, I attended a Spouses' Association Pictionary night. Even though my team lost, a good time was had by all. (How exactly does one draw mint jelly in under 60 seconds?!) It was a pot luck and I said I'd bring dessert. It's no secret that I love to bake, and I was eager to bake for someone either than TLS and the airmen in his squadron. I made two types of cookies, Rolo Cookies and Popcorn cookies. Both got completely devoured.

Rolo Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
unwrapped Rolo candies (about 4 dozen or so)
extra sugar for the plate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, and soda in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add in vanilla and eggs. Let the mixer (or your fork if you're making them by hand) have several more goes at it. Slowly add in the flour mixture. Beat until all of the flour mixture is absorbed. If you are doing this by hand it may take a while. Pinch off a little piece of dough, and wrap it around a Rolo candy. Roll it into a ball. You want to make sure that the Rolo is completely covered by dough on all sides, otherwise, when the chocolate melts, the caramel will leak and stick to your cookie sheet. Pour some sugar onto a plate. You can use colorful sanding sugar for a pretty effect. Roll the dough ball in the sugared plate and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

The finished product.

Popcorn Cookies
I don't have a picture of these, but they are delicious and got gobbled up rather quickly. Out of 3 dozen
cookies that I made today, only one is left, that one got saved for TLS's breakfast for tomorrow.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups popped popcorn, crushed (I use the lowest calorie one I can find since it has the least amount of butter and salt)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture. Beat until absorbed. Add in pecans, chocolate chips, and popcorn. Stir to mix. Drop on a cookie sheet by rounded teaspoonful. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes around 3 dozen.