Sometimes Margarine is Best

Last week I did an experiment when baking my TNT tried and true 1, 2, 3 Cookies. I baked them at my daughter's, and she had coconut oil, which is considered healthier than margarine. So, that's what I used.

First of all, since the coconut oil was in a glass jar and not in pre-measured/weighed blocks like margarine, I had two difficult challenges.

• getting the coconut oil out of the jar
• weighing the coconut oil

My daughter set up the scale with the mixing bowl at zero, and I struggled to remove the coconut oil from the jar. Eventually I managed to put enough coconut oil in the mixing bowl. I'd say that it easily quadrupled, or much more, the entire preparation time for making these simple cookies. That's besides the greasy mess it made.

Then I quickly added the two other ingredients, sugar and flour. Since we had decided to make granola cookies, I substituted oats for some of the flour. 

Even though the coconut oil was much softer than unmelted margarine, it couldn't be mixed with a spoon or two. So, first my granddaughter and then my daughter kneaded the mixture by hand. It was so awfully greasy that I kept on adding more flour and sugar, besides the cinnamon for flavor. 

I placed the mush in baking pans and put them in the oven, medium heat. I could see them baking and bubbling, but no matter how long, there was no "browning." At one point, when they seemed to have baked enough, I took out the trays and cut the cookies. Then I replaced them in the oven and turned it off. That's where I left the cookies and went home. 

My daughter reported that even when cooled the oiliness remained, and they didn't properly harden. 

There is a version of these cookies with oil and egg, but since we were making them for a vegan, we couldn't use eggs. 

Since the cookies aren't daily fare by us, baking them with margarine is perfectly fine and safe. Forget the coconut oil. It's just not worth the extra time and effort. And the cookies don't come out well either.

Basic 1, 2, 3  cookie recipe:

• Any weight measurement is fine as long as you're consistent. 
• 100 grams sugar
• 200 grams margarine melted
• 300 grams flour
• either cinnamon, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, seeds, chopped nuts etc
• measure and mix
• pat down 1 centimeter or a third of an inch on baking paper in pan
• bake in medium oven until it starts to brown
• remove to cut into squares or diamond shape
• return to oven and turn it off
• When it gets a bit browner, not burnt, take out to cool. 
• Once cooled, the cookies will harden.
• If they are still soft, then return to hot oven for a few minutes of bubbling.

Why Do I Still Make Those Irresistible 1, 2, 3 Cookies?

The other night I made two batches of my 1, 2, 3 cookies, oatmeal and chocolate chips. I used to make them a couple a times a month. That's when my kids were young and living at home. I'd keep them fresh in metal cookie tins. And yes, they do stay fresh and delicious for a few weeks, if nobody eats them. That's because they only have three basic ingredients:

• 1 part (by weight) sugar
• 2 parts margarine
• 3 parts flour

And you can then add cinnamon, vanilla or chocolate chips or nuts or seed or whatever...

• Just melt the margarine
• mix all the ingredients
• spread on the baking pan lined with baking paper
• bake in medium oven, like for a cake until slightly brown
• take out, cut and cool, and you're in for a treat

The oatmeal version takes a bit more skill, since you need less oats than flour or it's too dry. I combine some oats and flour (and also some cinnamon) and just can't tell you exactly how much. Al I can say is that it always is delicious. 

Oh, and I use fine whole wheat flour and dark brown sugar, so how can it be bad? And when in doubt, a bit more sugar... 

And to answer my question. Why do I make them when they always tempt me to eat them? Irresistible is an under-exaggeration.  My kids still love them, so I make the cookies for special family occasions. 

Making My Famous Classic 1, 2, 3 Cookies Sans Scale

Traditional Jewish memorial
Yartzeit candle

Tuesday, when I was sms/negotiating/planning my dinner out with son #1 on my mother's second yartzeit, Jewish anniversary of death, I reminded him that his birthday is in a week. He replied:

"Make me cookies."

Now I knew exactly what cookies he was referring to. They are simple 1, 2, 3 Cookies. The basic ingredients are measured on a food scale and must be in the right weight proportions (I always multiply by two or three,) such as:

• 100 grams sugar (dark brown is best, gives great flavor)
• 200 grams margarine
• 300 grams flour (whole-wheat gives great flavor)
• however much flavorings as you want, such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, sprinkles etc

Or you can measure with ounces:

• 4 oz sugar
• 8 oz margarine
• 12 oz flour

I highly suggest that you base the recipe on the weight/size of a stick of margarine wherever you live. In Israel they are 200 grams with 50 gram markings, if I'm not mistaken. 

When my kids, especially the boys, were little, I'm make the cookies very frequently and almost always had a tin or two of cookies. This son and his best friend loved them so much that he taught his friend's mother how to make them, and she still serves them. In their house the cookies are named after my son.  

Now, to be honest, I hadn't made those cookies in many, many years, and I don't even have a food scale anymore. I didn't even have most of the ingredients ready for use or in the house. The dark brown sugar was frozen solid and I had no oats to make that version which he had specifically requested. And I haven't bought margarine for many years. I bake my cakes and cook with oil.

So I told him that I'd make them next week. But right after that I realized that my husband had left the house before giving me cash which I needed, so I called him and asked him to wait at the bus stop and ran down the hill. That meant that I'd be passing the grocery store. So after getting the cash I zipped in and bought all the missing ingredients and then got to work on my son's early pre-birthday surprise.

Melt margarine in strong/heavy pot on low flame; turn off flame before fully melted. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, and then add margarine. 

chocolate chip

Since the dry ingredients, flour and sugar, were all in full bgs, I was able to estimate the percentage I had to pour into the bowl. I do have a pretty good "eye" for those things. The bags of sugar and flour here are a kilo, which is 1,000 grams, so 200 would be less than a quarter of the bag and 600 would be over half. 

It worked fine for me, though not everyone has my talent. 

oatmeal-  *substitute one third of the four with  regular
oats, not instant

The batter is spoon mixed, and if it's a bit too dry, you can always add a bit of oil and/or an egg. It (the cookies) keeps better without eggs.

When the batter is mixable, moister than a crumb topping, spread it on a baking pan lined with baking paper and pat down well.

Bake in a medium oven until it smells like "baked cookies" and the color has changed. If you've discovered after they are ready and cooled that they are still soft, then return them to the oven and bake another ten minutes.

Cut immediately after taking out of the oven when still hot. They will harden as they cool.

They were perfect!!!

No Beating Passover Cookies

True, Passover is over, and you probably don't want to think about cooking with matzah meal, especially the baking. I must admit that I haven't baked kosher for Passover cakes for years and never baked cookies, even though I bought a special oven for Passover quite a few years ago.

I realized that the effort of beating those egg whites, gently folding all the ingredients and keeping the house calm--no banging!-- while waiting for the delicate mixtures to bake weren't worth it. That's because, even without help, I could eat one of those effort-filled cakes in minutes, if not seconds. Also, we can now buy a very large variety of Kosher for Passover cakes, loved by most of my family. I'm the holdout, and I'm the one who shouldn't eat them any way.

Nu, so why does this post advertise "No Beating Passover Cookies?" Simply, because you'll be getting a recipe. I visited my neighbor to return the insulated bag she lent us to schlepp the food to Jerusalem, and she gave us some delicious "Chocolate Chip Kosher for Passover Cookies." Of course, I could have said "no" and refused to sample them, but I was curious. She had them stored in the freezer, meaning they don't sit around on the counter, and they freeze well. You don't need a mixer, since they don't require beaten egg whites.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mix:
1+1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. potato starch
½ tsp. bk. Powder
½ tsp. bk. Soda
1+1/2 c. matza meal
1 pkg vanilla sugar
Add:
2 eggs
2/3 c. oil
Juice of one orange
Stir in chocolate chips
Refrigerate a while
Bake until sides are golden for approximately 15 minutes at 350°F (a hotter oven will cause the cookies to spread too much)
Makes about 80 cookies

The original source of the recipe is unknown.
Enjoy, but in moderation! Why do all the good things have calories? Next, I have to get her recipe for those coconut-chocolate yummies....