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The best-loved cookies of BU

"What, no biscuits for canines?" Rhett is probably going to complain, but the B.U. Bridge is pleased to offer the following holiday cookie recipes "for humans" sent in by members of the BU community. The first four recipes yield about two dozen cookies.

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"I obtained this recipe from my son-in-law's mother, Betty Simon," writes Karen Jacobs, clinical associate professor in the SAR occupational therapy department. "Betty has been baking this recipe for many years, and her love of cooking was passed along to her son, Craig, who is now studying culinary arts at Johnson and Wales College in Rhode Island."

COCOA-ALMOND BISCOTTI

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1½ tablespoons chocolate syrup
2¼ cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons cocoa
8 ounces chocolate chips
¼ cup whole almonds

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beat well, then add the chocolate syrup. Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt, and cocoa; add to the butter mixture. Beat well. Stir in the chocolate chips and the almonds.

Divide the mixture into 9" x 2" logs. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes, or until firm. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then cut each log diagonally into ½"-thick slices. Place the slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 5 minutes, then turn the cookies over and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks.

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Ksenya Khinchuk, director of the Humphrey Fellowship Program, submitted this recipe from 'The World Family Cookbook,' a project of the program that is dedicated entirely to funding programs to aid orphans of war in Africa. The recipes in the book, which can be ordered for $25 by calling 617-353-7387, were gathered from more than 100 countries.

DROMMAR
(Swedish butter cookies)

1 cup butter
1¼ cups sugar
2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300º. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Cool in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, then shape by hand into small balls.

Place the cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet or on a sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown.

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Natalie McCracken, executive director of development and alumni publications, offers this easy-to-make cookie creation for those of us who have trouble boiling water.

COOKIES TO BE BAKED BY NON-COOKIE BAKERS

Waverly Wafers, or another buttery cracker
½ cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter (accept no substitutes!)
6 ounces chocolate chips
chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350º. In a 9" x 13" pan, place one layer of the Waverly Wafers or buttery crackers. Boil the brown sugar and butter together for 2 minutes, then pour over the crackers. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Spread evenly as the chocolate melts. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Cool. Then cut roughly - "which is the only way they'll cut," says McCracken.

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Lynn Elston (GSM'99), who works at Fidelity Investments, stays
in touch with BU through the 'Bridge.' For her recipe, she advises, "You can keep an extra roll on hand or in the freezer to serve unexpected guests."

LAZY COOKIE ROLL

1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 tablespoons powdered cocoa
2 sticks melted butter
2 packages of "rich tea" cookies or 3 packages of Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookies (enough to make about 3 to 4 cups of broken cookies)
optional - chopped nuts and shredded coconut

In a bowl, mix together the cocoa, condensed milk, and melted butter to make a chocolate sauce. In another bowl, break the cookies by hand into small pieces. Mix the cookies into the chocolate sauce until well coated. (Add chopped nuts and shredded coconut, if desired.)

Place the mix on a long piece of foil and shape by hand into a log. Wrap the log tightly with foil, then freeze for 2 hours. Remove the log from the freezer and reroll into a more cylindrical log. Rewrap, then freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer, slice, and serve.

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Maureen Connolly (SED'01) offers up her favorite holiday cookie recipe, which makes about 3 dozen cookies.

VANISHING OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups uncooked oatmeal (Quaker Oats works best)
1½ cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350º. Beat the margarine and sugars together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in the oatmeal and raisins, mix, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

15 December 2000
Boston University
Office of University Relations