First of all, apologies for the slow posting (or, rather, no posting) this week: I was in Georgia doing research for a top secret project that may or may not go anywhere–you’ll have to wait and see. But now I’m back and do you know the first thing I ate after walking back into my apartment?
One of Tali’s cookies.
Tali is my future sister-in-law and, almost two weeks ago, she handed me a bag of cookies that she made before Craig and I returned from Boca Raton to Brooklyn after Thanksgiving. The cookies are cookies her grandmother used to make and they’re interesting because: (a) they’re not really cookies; (b) you can make them really easily; (c) they last a really long time in the refrigerator (hence, my ability to eat them two weeks later.)
Basically, they’re Ritz Cracker sandwiches–peanut butter smeared in the middle–dipped in white chocolate.
In fact, that’s the entire recipe: buy Ritz Crackers. Spread peanut butter on one, sandwich it with another. Then melt some white chocolate in a microwave (stirring every 30 seconds, just until melted) and coat the cracker sandwich with the melted chocolate, drying it afterwards on a rack.
The result is a happy combination of salty, savory and sweet. And they’re pretty filling: one cookie goes a long way, as I learned on both the airplane back from Florida (I ate one instead of the bag of pretzels) and last night, when I snacked on one before starting to make dinner.
If you’re intent on making holiday cookies to give away, fancy ones with cookie cutters and icing and little sparkles, Tali’s cookies are the cookies you should make for yourself. Other cookies may be more refined, but these are cookies that hit the spot. Thanks, Tali, for the recipe.
P.S. Yes, my mom keeps a cardboard cut-out of my book cover on the piano. Can I help it if I have a doting Jewish mother?
My Gran used to make these too, but with milk chocolate. Thanks for the happy memory!
My Gran used to make these too, but with milk chocolate. Thanks for the happy memory!
I love the cut-out of your book.
Mmmmm, I *love* these things, but I’ve never made them myself. Growing up in the South, I never had to- I always got some in a cookie tin for Xmas! I might have to make my own this year. Thanks for reminding me about them!
oh my god these sound amazing, i love chocolate covered pretzels but these sound so much better i will have to try this
Our family makes a version of this at Christmas as well, but with Wheat Thin crackers instead of Ritz. It’s lighter (if you can use that word in regards to this cookie), crispier, and slightly less crumbly. We also use milk chocolate but I can’t imagine it being a bad thing with white, milk, or dark.
I never seem to cook with white chocolate, but am willing to go out and try for these…what kind does she use???
I want a doting Jewish mother too :)
Oh! I just did a post including a description of similar cookies, only coated in milk chocolate! So clever. I tried them years ago and I remember how good they were.
The cookies sound awesome, I will definitely have to try them out.
…what I’m really wondering, though is how you got them on the planes! What happened to the not outside food or drink?
That’s an easy recipe!!
Happy Holidays!
That’s an easy recipe!!
Happy Holidays!
That’s an easy recipe!!
Happy Holidays!
You were in GA for a week and no meet up?
I feel betrayed.
I just brought these with me on the plane from Chicago to Brooklyn. I only have three left. Years ago when I was living in Atlanta and received a christmas care package from home. I took some with me to a little gay commune in Tennessee(yes they do exist) and shared them with the hillbilly faeries that lived there. They made fun of them saying they were the most redneck thing they had ever heard of (Yes I get the irony) until they started eating them. Then they disappeared with nothing left but the crumbs in their fae hillbilly beards. Ah there’s no place like homo’s for the holidays.
If you are a fan of the Girl Scout cookies called Tagalongs® (called Peanut Butter Patties® in some regions) you will find that these Ritz cookies (made with milk chocolate) taste surprisingly similar…yum!