Post 159) from Xanga

159) Without further ado, here's the second in the six-recipe series. I should charge a subscription fee or something.

2: Chocolate Waffle Turtle Cookies

This demands a waffle iron.

• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup margarine or butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• Optional garnish: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

For the glaze you'll need a couple more ingredients, so:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Heat the waffle iron to "low." In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together (that's the 2 ounces of chocolate and the 1/3 cup butter). When mixed together, stir in the flour, sugar, milk, and egg. The mixture should form a dough.

Drop a spoonful of dough onto each section of the waffle iron. The batter should not spread; it's too thick. Close the iron and bake for about 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Drizzle with chocolate glaze and sprinkle with nuts (optional). Makes about 16.

Chocolate glaze:

Melt chocolate and butter together; drizzle on cooled cookies.

Post 158) from Xanga

158) OK, you asked for cookies, Lyssa...

I'm going to publish two cookie recipes a day for three days... hopefully that will give everyone at least one type that he or she likes. No, don't thank me! Really! It's all part of being me, She Who Scatters Recipes Abroad Like Planting Seeds! Or something like that.

So, here are the first two recipes. They're in alphabetical order for those who care.

1: Anise Cookies

This recipe is started the night before and finished the next day. The recipe is a traditional one from Eastern Europe. Making these makes the house smell very strongly of anise-- a pungent licorice smell. If that appeals to you, then read on...

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon oil of anise (Oil of anise can be found at the pharmacy counter of the grocery store. You're looking for OIL of anise, not extract of anise or anything-else of anise. No substitutions. Note: This will probably be the only thing you ever need oil of anise for. )
• 1 and one half cups flour

Beat eggs and sugar together in Cuisinart for a long time, until completely blended together and pale yellow in color. (The original recipe says to beat for 30 minutes, but I believe that's more appropriate if you're beating it by hand.) Then add the anise oil and the flour; beat to incorporate.

Drop by spoonsful onto cookie sheets sprayed with PAM. Let stand at room temperature overnight to firm up. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will stay light in color. Cool slightly on the sheets, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. Makes about four dozen.