C is for cookie, F is for Fried Oreo

Yeah, that's right. Fried Oreo cookies. Batter dipped, deep fried...... that qualifies as a Strange Cookie in my book. I found this recipe while browsing one day. Although I will never make this particular delicacy myself, I thought it very well done, with lots of pictures, and a sprinkling of humor (note: DO NOT test the heat of your frying oil by sticking your finger in). Check it out!

How to Make Fried Oreo Cookies

The letter "F" apparently also stands for "F- cup", so for all you ladies looking for a little enhancement, trust the Japanese to find a way to control where those cookies go after you eat them! Check it out, if you dare (there are some other strange products to look at when you get there.) Of course, some might contend that if you eat enough fried oreos, you'd get the same results, but with much less control over where the increase in size might happen.

Scary Ideas: F- cup Cookies

Last, but not least in this Internet Surf Special edition of Strange Cookies, the strangest and most beloved of all cookie-obsessed characters would like to have the last word (or letter, as the case may be....) Be back soon with more recipes of my own!

A Whopping Great Tater

I would like to tell the tale of the Huge Potato. Once upon a time, ok a couple of weeks ago, I received a couple of potatoes from a friend of mine. Not unusual, I am often the recipient of extraneous vegetables. I love it. These two potatoes were truly the largest that I have ever had in my possession. The biggest of these is pictured here.


My boyfriend Ken suggested that I make a twice-baked potato out of it. I thought it a grand idea, and set out to do just that. First, I baked it for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then cooled it, and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I assembled the ingredients pictured here: some red onion, garlic, parsley, nice plain yogurt, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. I put the onion, garlic, and parsley in the food processor, chopped it a bit, and followed it with the potato, yogurt, cubed cheese, salt and pepper. I processed it until properly amalgamated, and returned it to the potato shells. I then tossed it in the refrigerator and went to work.


In the evening, I put the Colossal potato back in the oven at 375 degrees F. Again, I think it was about an hour, and I turned up the heat for about the last 10 minutes to 400 degrees to get that good browned quality that brings such joy to the senses.


We demolished the potato.If you're curious about the liquid refreshment we chose to accompany our potato, click here.

Of course, a person could easily substitute normal sized baking potatoes, and the recipe would work fine. But........... why?

Basic Rolled Cookie Dough

This is the same recipe I've used since I was a kid for those occasional fun holiday cut-out cookies. I've now made both a regular unbleached all purpose flour and a whole wheat version. Both work well. I think I like the whole wheat better for taste and aroma. (It makes the butter even more buttery!) I like the way the paler unbleached white flour makes the milk bottle cookie pictured here so, well, milky looking! There is also a whole white wheat flour more readily available these days that is good to use for pastries. I'll be trying that, also. And now, on to our regularly scheduled recipe...

Basic Sugar Cookies

Cream: 1/2 c. unsalted butter
3/4 c. sugar

Add: 1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat well.

Add: 1 T cream or milk

Sift together: 1 1/2 c flour (unbleached All-Purpose, Whole Wheat, or any mixture thereof)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Optional: nutmeg, cinnamon, or other sweet spice (not pictured)

Stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Wrap up and chill until firm. (Make ahead for the next day-- great.)

When it's time to bake, set the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, roll out dough, cut into desired shapes, place on lightly greased pan, or pan lined with baking parchment. Bake until golden (look at the bottom of the cookie if you can to determine doneness.) My recipe says about 8 min. but I'll be honest that I haven't done a good job of timing this. I suspect it may be a little longer, but be sure to keep a close eye on them. I'll amend this with a more proper baking time later.








COMING SOON-- The Lemon Cookie and the Chocolate cookie



Also upcoming:



a Monstrous Potato

Future=Fortune

I'm working on getting the cookie recipes together, as well as a couple of other goodies: a soup, and a bread recipe I've been playing with all winter. I'm presently knee deep in broth, butter and flour. I also found myself a real decorating kit with bags and tips. Don't expect things to get too cute or flowery, however. I'm a bit of a minimalist at heart. Expect the unexpected...!

Although there are no new offerings of my own, I do have a strange cookie to share. Apparently, Step 1 to making this cookie involves learning to crochet, which I probably won't ever do, but I find Step 2 rather entertaining. The human mind is capable of such invention in the service of good, evil, and, uh, other stuff.....

First Cookies

Well, I've finished the maiden pan of cookies. I've learned a few things along the way, like, oops, don't actually have any decorating tools. I went to the grocery store and bought the little tips they sell to screw onto premade cans of icing, and rigged up a decorating bag by making a tiny hole in the corner of a sandwich bag and sticking the tip through that. It worked better than I thought it would (secret... little tiny hole.)Since I was working with tiny amounts of icing, it was OK. Some of the cookies were decorated by painting directly with the food coloring like watercolor. That has some possibilities, although I am a little grossed out by the food coloring. I'd like to spend some time thinking about some of the more natural food-based color options. But really, sometimes a person just has to do the thing, and get on with it.

In case it isn't obvious what these cookies turned out to be, we have carrots, eyeballs, potatoes, a couple of short screwdrivers, and a pocket-sized pack of tissues. Oh yeah, and the cookie left intentionally blank for layout purposes. My pick of the bunch for our Featured Cookie is the pocket-sized pack of tissues.
This cookie combines a natural coloring agent (cocoa), simple design, and off-the cuff strangeness in just the right combination. I'm pleased so far. I think it may be the only cookie of its kind in the world, and I'm pretty sure that it will not last long. (mmmm, tasty.) Oh yeah, these cookies are definitely meant for EATING. Wouldn't this be a nice design to comfort someone you know who is going through a rough spot in their life, or needs a snack for a long sad movie?

The cookie itself is a basic sugar cookie made from the same recipe I used when I was a kid for cut-out Christmas cookies. I added a little bit of nutmeg for niceness. I'll include some recipes soon.

First Words

I have a lot of ideas. I know this is a widespread problem, and that I am not alone.

A lot of my ideas are about cooking. I love to cook. I have had some professional experience, and do from time to time cook-for-pay, but mostly, I like to cook for myself and loved ones. I have been vegetarian for 18 years, and have delved into many styles of cooking from around the world, as well as just putting together my own dishes from my growing knowledge of basic techniques and my own crazy ideas.

That's another thing-- my crazy ideas. Sometimes I think, "no idea too crazy!" and really believe it. A little later, my internal editor weighs in with an opinion. Judging by some of the projects I've had my hand in, I have a permissive editor.

The idea that gives this blog its name has been kicking around since my days as an art school nerd who worked at a wonderful (now departed) family bakery. I've always thought it would be fun to make various odd, unexpected, or incongruous images in cookie form. This past Christmas the idea surfaced again while making cookies for my friend Cindy's catering business. They were snowflakes, with blue and white icing, and silver baubles. I couldn't help but think about my ideas for cookies that look like raw pork chops, or lightbulbs.

I also have serious ideas about cooking, and an interest in sharing some of what I've learned about cooking in general, vegetarian cooking, and bread baking.

My plan is to periodically feature the aforementioned Strange Cookie, with recipes and pattern suggestions to boot. Live vicariously, or try your own hand at making something.