What Grammy Left Behind

Allow me to introduce my grandmother, Virginia Mae Hall.

She was a special woman who affected my life profoundly in a number of ways, and I know there are many out there who would say the same. She died about six years ago this March, and every year as the morose date approaches, I experience the same emotion. It’s not sadness or anxiety or longing, although those feelings still strike me at random times- driving in the car, doing the dishes, reading a book before bed. No, it’s a feeling of complete and total gratitude for having had her in my life that wraps itself around me every March 2nd.

People who have been lucky like I have understand what makes a wonderful grandparent. Yes, spoiling is usually a part of it, not necessarily in money or things, but in time, patience, stories and laughter. The feeling I most associate with her is an overwhelming one of love and acceptance. She had an amazing outlook on life, and even when things got dark or depressing, she managed to find something to laugh about.

I will never forget that about her.

Grammy is the person who planted the seed for my love of baking and ultimately cooking. Though I’ve mentioned it before (and I’m sure I’ll mention it again), my family spent our summers and winter breaks with my grandparents at their home in Calistoga every year. I looked forward to the treats she whipped up for us, and eventually became interested enough to help her make them. Seven layer bars, chocolate chip cookies, apple crisp… All made her kitchen and home smell amazing, and few desserts survived the next day.

Sometimes when I stumble across the recipe for an amazing sweet piece of decadence, I like to imagine Grammy being the one who led me to it. The brownie recipe below was discovered in Bon Appetit’s February issue and was baked for my best friend’s birthday at the beginning of March. I know my grandmother would approve of its fudgy middle and slightly crackly top, and she would certainly endorse the use of treats to enhance any celebration.

That’s another thing I loved about her, but truly… it’s only one in a list of a million.

Happy eating,

Elizabeth

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ¼ cups sugar

¾ cups natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, chilled

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 8x8x2 inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2 inch overhamg. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon (generous) salt. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip into 4 brownies.

Tip: I didn’t have a square pan, so I used an 8” round and it worked just fine.

Ranger Cookies

These are a scrumptious treat that have been around so long that no one seems to know where they started. I asked my mom where she discovered them and after admitting she had no memory of their origin, referred me to her sister, Auntie Kitty, who said my brother asked for them one day out of the clear blue. Without shock or surprise, he too was clueless.


Through a series of inquiries and interrogations, the story I've pieced together is that Auntie Kitty saw the recipe in the newspaper one day and cut it out, a habit she maintains to this day. According to her, Kyle heard about these "really cool cookies" from his friends on the playground and begged my mom to make the Ranger Cookies one afternoon. 


This was before the convenient days of the internet, so where should one turn to find a recipe they didn't already have? You call Auntie Kitty, Queen of Sweets, who over the years has logged thousands of recipes from various publications. My mom did as all of us do, which led to our introduction to Ranger cookies, a move that hooked us for life.

Between Elizabeth and me, I am definitely not the baker. I find it to be a tedious and laborious process that I usually mess up during the step where you measure the ingredients. I don't like the fact that I can't fix my mistakes the way I can when I am cooking. I have even been known to screw up a pumpkin pie, a crime in the Sutherland clan. Any baking knowledge I have at all I owe to my mom’s side of the family. Every holiday was chock full of any sweet imaginable: 47-layer cakes, pies, Mexican wedding cookies, walnut laden fudge and lollipops to boot!

These cookies are my saving grace. They don't make me sweat, they don't scare or give me anxiety before I take them out of the oven. They are so simple to make, I don’t even bother with an electric mixer. If you choose to mix by hand as well, stir to combine ingredients after each new addition. This will prevent clumps from forming and keep the batter smooth--a trick I learned from my Auntie Kitty. Another tip is that all ovens are different, and things do not always bake according to the specifications of the recipe. Because of this, she advised me to check the cookies 2 minutes before the suggested time. When the cookies are done, their bottoms will be a lovely golden brown color.  

One last thought on the matter: These cookies could almost be called "butter-pecan ice cream cookies". They are studded with pecans and buttery while still being flakey and light. Plus, they have coconut, which happens to be of my favorite foods... of all time! Please, take my word and try these cookies already. 


Ranger cookies are best eaten fresh out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk.

Happy eating,

Lindsay

Ranger Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

1 egg

1 cup oil

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup corn flakes, crushed *

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

3½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  If you have an electric mixture, use the paddle attachment to make the dough. Otherwise, a regular medium-sized bowl and some good ‘ol fashioned elbow grease will be just fine.

Begin by creaming the butter. Add both the white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the egg** and oil and mix well. Add oats, corn flakes, coconut, pecans and vanilla. Stir well until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Measure the flour and level with the flat side of a knife; sift onto a cutting board or parchment/wax paper. Working in batches, little by little mix the flour into the wet ingredients. Add salt and baking soda. Mix well.

Form dough into 1-inch balls, taking care that they are uniform so they bake evenly. Place dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 ½ to 2 inches apart. Flatten them with a fork dipped into water. Bake for ten minutes, or until cookie bottoms are golden brown.

* I’ve found that the best way to crush corn flakes is by first measuring the cereal, then putting it in a ziplock bag and crushing with your fist or rolling pin.

** As I've watched Ina Garten do time and again... It’s best to crack the egg into a small bowl before adding to the mixture. That way, if you happen to get a bit of shell in, you can fish it out before it gets lost forever.