Othello Cookies

Hi, my name is Lurker Smurf, and I'm a cookie addict.

After having yummies in the house all last month, it's hard to look around and not see anything to munch on.  It doesn't help that my new work schedule allows me to sit down to tea nearly every afternoon.  I finished the last box of last year's Girl Scout cookies.  Now what?

These are an adaptation of the Sponge Drops from The Book of Afternoon Tea.  I named them Othello because they look like the game pieces.  I'm thrilled that I can finally beat the computer on the difficult setting, so I'm celebrating with a batch of cookies.

The best part of these is that you probably have all the ingredients in the house right now.  You don't have any excuses.

1/2 C flour
2 eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tb cocoa powder
powdered sugar for icing

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Grease two baking sheets and line with waxed paper.

2.  Beat together eggs and sugar until very pale and thick.  You can't make meringue because of the yolks, but see how close you can get.  Beat in vanilla.

3.  Sift flour over whipped eggs and gently fold into a batter.  Spoon half into a pastry bag with a 1/2" round tip.  On one cookie sheet, pipe 18 1-1/2" circles of batter.  Bake for 10 minutes while you're making the other sheet.

4.  Gently fold cocoa powder into remaining batter.  Pipe 18 circles the same size and bake those for 10 minutes.

5.  As the cookies come out of the oven, slide the waxed paper off the baking sheet before it cools and onto a slightly damp dish towel.  This will allow you to peel off the cookies when they are cool.  A silpat is an acceptable alternative.

6.  Whip up a batch of simple icing with 1/2 C powdered sugar and about 2 tsp of water.  Make it as stiff as you can still spread.  Put a dab on the back of every plain cookie, then sandwich with a chocolate cookie.  Allow to rest until glaze hardens, about 1 hour.

Makes 18

Difficulty rating  :)