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Uncle Gus' Best Evers Cookies
Uncle Gus, one of the Web's favorite people, is an exuberant man and "head WABI"
who believes in an original tenet of the Net: share what you know, unreservedly and for free. He maintains two
excellent Web sites, and you will want to visit him at both.
If you want a good tour of some of the beaches of the Big Island of Hawaii (and other Hawaii stuff), some recipes,
odds and ends of Net related items (including a midi file collection), and some info about flying a Lancaster in
RAF Bomber Command with four other Canucks and two Brits during WWII, visit him at http://www.webdev.net/wabi/
If you are interested in beautiful Lake Applets and many other java related items--including music--, you must
go to http://members.tripod.com/UncleGus1 where you can view
and learn how to do everything.
The following is Uncle Gus' recipe for Best Evers Chocolate Chip Chewy Nut Cookies, developed during his sojourn
in Hawaii. It is, as Uncle Gus proclaims, "a Very Confidential recipe . . . Give it to anyone!"
Uncle Gus is 70-something, going on 16. (PS: WABI means Without A Brain Installed)
Hi Folks
These recipes are simple fare, but everyone agrees that they are ono (delicious). My Chocolate Chip Chewy Nut Cookies
have been acclaimed as "Best Evers," and have been featured in newspaper and Television.
Enough talk, I present them for what they are worth, and the proof will be in the eating.
WORLD'S "BEST EVERS" COOKIES by Uncle Gus
Improved CONFIDENTIAL Recipe
First: BASIC RECIPE
BOWL #1
BOWL #2 Mix Separately.
Important: Butter or Margarine must be at natural room temperature. If you soften by heating, cookies will
be too hard
when cool.
Another Note: Coarse brown sugar controls spreading of cookies. More coarse (brown) sugar equals more spread.
More fine sugar (white granulated) equals less spread. But 2 cups combined is max.
Follow instructions Basic Method Very important
BOWL #1:
½ lb. butter or margarine (ROOM Temperature)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 whole eggs (ROOM Temperature)
2/3 cup white sugar (Granulated)
1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (Packed)
BEAT WELL
BOWL #2:
2 cups All Purpose Flour (Not Sifted)
2½ cups Instant or 2 minute Oatmeal
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
MIX WELL
That is basic recipe. Bowl #1 will have ingredients added.
Bowl #2 will always be the same as basic. ONWARD!
TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING COOKIES . . . .
- 1. Chocolate Chip
2. Deluxe Chewy Nut White or Dark Chocolate Chip . . . Everyone's favorite (favourite too <g>).
For . . . CHOCOLATE CHIP
Add to Bowl #1
2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips or 2 cups of white chocolate chips
. . DELUXE CHEWY NUT WHITE or DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP
Add to Bowl #1
2 cups walnuts or mac nuts (or your preference)
2 cups white or semi sweet regular chocolate chips
4 oz. milk chocolate chopped (Optional)
General "Rave" notices prefer White Chocolate and Mac Nuts.
COMBINE BOWLS UNTIL JUST MIXED. I REPEAT . . . Don't over mix!
VERY IMPORTANT: Check pre-heat oven temperature. Best investment you can make is a separate oven thermometer
. . . about 6 bucks.
Preheat oven to 375° F . . . *Important to check for correct oven temperature before putting cookies in oven.
VERY IMPORTANT: Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (I get mine from Safeway Bakery, or Pizza
parlour. 5¢ or 3p)
Drop cookies on lined sheets. Don't fuss with shape. Wild & Wooly the best! I use a heaping teaspoon, lift
out a big golf
ball size blob, and sit it down without fussing with it. This is one of the secrets in making "Best Evers."
This recipe should
make 2 dozen at the most, and any more will end up with hard dried up cookies that Rover will stick his nose up
at . . .
I know, you're saying, "Wanna Bet?" Just leave them high, they will spread out perfectly when baked.
Space about 1" apart, "Don't fence me in!" Cool off cookie sheet before adding more cookies .
. . Important!
Bake at 375° F for 15 minutes, or until slightly brown on top edges. I check at 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes
on sheet, and then remove and cool further on wire rack.
Makes 2 dozen, or less.
This is a Very Confidential recipe . . . Give it to anyone!
Concocted by trial & mostly error by Uncle Gus when he retreated to the Big Island of Hawaii . . .
DIFFICULTIES:
1. Follow instructions—took me over a year of experimenting, and now can have cookies ready for oven before temperature
is up to full steam.
2. It might appear . . . coarse (brown) sugar or honey is healthier. STOP! These are not health cookies. They have
flour, fat and sugar. Sugar combination is to control spreading of cookies, and of course, taste! When baking,
as commented by, "Sultan," premier author of baking publications, "Coarse sugar (brown) will spread
more, fine (granulated white) will control spreading." IMHO, experimenting has concluded 2/3 cup fine and
11/3 cups of cup (packed) coarse always gets rave reviews.
3. "Butter or margarine at room temperature," Had many doggie biscuits before learning this! Was tempted
to speed up process by softening over flame—impatient sod! Heating ends up with hard cookies . . . OK, if you need
them to roof your cottage, or practice for removing bottle caps with your teeth! Dentists delight .
4. MIX: In separate bowls mix well. However, when combining bowls #1 and #2, just mix enough to combine ingredients,
sorta caress into a cohesive ball—you know! Then take a firm hold of a teaspoon, dip out slightly larger than golf
ball size lumps, and just plop on parchment paper lined cool cookie sheet. (If you can't find parchment paper?
In Hawaii we got it from the Pizza Parlor, here in Green Valley, we get it from Safeway's bakery department, 5¢
/ sheet.) Drop them about 1" apart, you will have to assist with finger—that will be "Finger licking
good!" You bet! Oatmeal cookies may be forked, you know, those utensils that spaghetti slips off. Peaks and
valleys make for crisper cookies, and is traditional as well?.
5. TEMPERATURE: In all aspects of life is very important, and should not be hurried along. Preheat oven to correct
temperature, 375°, and don't hurry it, like doing your favorite sport (Chess). . . Put cookie batter on cool
baking sheet, and bake one sheet at a time. Believe me . . . thousands may not! Invest $5.00 in an extra oven thermometer.
You may even find that your oven setting is correct.
If you want a "Super Good Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie" the above comments have merit . . . you be
the judge. Let your stomach do the talking!
If, you want a health cookie? Get fruit, nuts, raw oat bran, oats, raw honey, etc., etc. Roll it up raw, and you
may live longer? If that's your goal . . . don't get up, don't cross the street, don't drive, etc., etc.! Hey,
that's beginning to sound like. "Don't live it to the max!" Wow! Life is too beautiful for that.
Keep Smiling
Uncle Gus
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