Those cookies that just kept coming

EVERYONE remembers the cookies that Chris Mathewson "Cupcake" baked for the big day. Yesireee Bob......all 480 of them! Indeed - just when you thought you were the lucky one who snagged the very last cookie, you'd turn around 5 minutes later to find the plate refilled again. Which of course meant you had to continue eating them. They were that amazing, and totally addictive. None of us could believe it when we woke up the following morning and found the original box Chris brought them in, and yes, MORE COOKIES! Everyone was excited, and we, of course, ate them. So imagine our surprise when a week or so after Glenn and I returned from our honeymoon in Maine, we found a tin of guess what? More cookies. And still somewhat fresh. We ate them, all except one. We vowed to each other to save it until the day we got the recipe to make more. So the photo above is Glenn eating the last one today after lunch, and thank you Chris for the recipe below. I think we need to call a meeting with the powers that be so I can make a motion that you be called "Cookie" now, instead of "Cupcake".

Peppermint Pothole Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup turbinado [or light brown] sugar

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons whole milk yogurt

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 teaspoons cut peppermint leaf

1 rounded teaspoon baking powder

8-9 ounces dark semi- or bitter- sweet chocolate, melted

Cream butter and blend with sugar until smooth and even textured. Beat in egg, yoghurt and peppermint. Combine flour, salt, peppermint leaf and baking powder and add to mixture.

Place teaspoonfuls on buttered, uncoated cookie sheet. Pat with floured fingers to form depression in center of each. Fill with chocolate.

Bake for seven to nine minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and cool for about five minutes, then chill to set chocolate.

Makes about six to eight dozen.

This week's recipe

Here is the dish that Chris and Judy Louras brought to share at the wedding. I'm sorry to say we didn't get a chance to taste this either, but we are thinking it sounds pretty wonderful and are hoping to have a second chance at trying it.....hint, hint.

Crawfish/Shrimp Etouffee Recipe

1 pound shrimp (cut in half) or crawfish tails

1 stick butter

1 large onion, diced (heaping cup)

1/2 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup K.A. A.P Flour, *toasted

3 cups *crawfish/lobster stock/veggie broth

( i.e. 2 cups lobster stock + 1 cup veggie broth)

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme (if ground, then less!)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons seafood hot sauce (greene’s of vt texas chipotle)

2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce (sting ray)

1 teaspoon lemon

Saute onion, celery, bell peppers, garlic and bay leaf in butter in Dutch

oven until onion translucent.

Whisk in flour and stir/scrape constantly for 5 minutes on medium+. This

is a white roux.

Slowly add most of crawfish/lobster stock/broth mix and bring to boil for

5 minutes.

Add parsley, thyme, seafood sauce, chipotle sauce, lemon and tomato paste

Simmer for 15 minutes, do not boil, stir about every five minutes.

Mixture should have a sauce-like consistency, add a little stock if

necessary, but don't over thin.

Add crawfish tails/shrimp and cook 10 minutes. Crawfish tails are precooked.

* Stock can be made by boiling lobster bodies (w/liver), or crawfish heads

and/or shells.

* Toast the flour in a cast iron pan, over medium heat. Keep the flour

moving. This isn't something that can be left alone, the flour can burn

quickly. You’re looking for a med. brown - darkish brown color.

Yum!

We have heard so much about the amazing food that was brought to the wedding, but alas, like most brides and grooms, we were too busy and excited to eat much. We did manage to get our sticky fingers on some of that salmon Peter Wallace prepared, and man was it delish. A huge shout out to Peter and his wife Kathleen for all of their talent and effort! We were also able to land some of that incredible chowder of Ed and Sandy Gregan's (I think Glenn had more than a few cups). Was that a seafood extravaganza or what?

The tent was filled with fabulous looking food and we are thrilled to have gotten some recipes to try. I will try to post at least one a week - and remember, if you would like to share a dish you brought it's not to late.

The first recipe is from our dear friend and officiate of our ceremony Susan Farrow. Well, actually it was Patrick's, but Susan submitted it to us. So, we share this in his memory and in his honor.

PATRICK’S BOTTOM LINE

GARLIQUE EXTRAORDINAIRE

For 1-2 typical Garlic enthusiasts

recipe may be doubled, tripled, quadrupled etc.

***

SLICE ONE BLUB GARLIC CLOVES

LENGTHWISE AND PEEL

***

HEAT SIX TBSP. OLIVE OIL

IN A HEAVY SKILLET

(if it smokes its too hot).

***

ADD SPLIT CLOVES, TURN AND

SIZZLE TILL GOLDEN BROWN

***

SALT TO TASTE

EAT LIKE FRENCH FRIES

Cooking transforms garlic into a sulpher compound,

and is widely considered to be an effective agent

in preventing illness and promoting a robust sex life.