Bittersweet Baking

Today is chaos. 

Baking chaos. I have a shower coming up that I am baking all sorts of goodies for, and Murphy's Law has set in. Anything, and I mean ANYTHING, that can go wrong, has gone WRONG! Cookie dough on the floor, double recipe of cake batter made wrong (how did I forget baking powder??) melted chocolate all over the inside of the fridge as I dropped a tray of chocolate covered Oreos trying to open the fridge and answer the 100th ring from my kids (the daily "are you picking us up?" that I get EVERY SINGLE DAY!! I pick up every day, so I don't know why they need to call me...anyway...). 

Just a mess, I tell you. 

Did I mention the eggs? I went through 10 eggs to get that cake right, and 18 eggs in 24 hours. I still have more cake to make, and I have no eggs. Again. I have 150 sugar cookies waiting for icing, and my legs are cramping.

But none of it matters. 


First of all, I want to do this for my niece. Second, life is too short to worry about any of it. 

My friends, Melissa and Tim, had to put their beloved dog, Rosie, down last night. I am so heartbroken for them and their three kids. Rosie was 11 years old and one of the coolest, sweetest dogs I've ever met. I loved that dog, and I can't imagine her not being there when I visit them, which is not as often as I should. I can't even talk to them, I know I won't be able to stop crying. I cry just reading Melissa's messages, and typing this story for you.

But I want to be there for them, and I wish I could help take some of the pain away.

I baked cookies.

When I feel helpless, I bake. And I talk. To you all.

Baking and talking, it's what I do.

What to bake?

Of course, I had no eggs, and not enough time to go to the store. But I wanted to make SOMETHING.

I had 4 ingredients, so I did this:

Then I baked them:

And then I had to give them a little choco-drizz:

They are light, sweet, and ridiculously yummy (if you like coconut). 

And so simple to make.

I will even share the recipe... a rare thing, right? It's only because they are so easy and I want to cheer everyone up, if I can.

Don't get too excited, I didn't measure anything. Surprised?

I'll try to put it in measured terms:

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1.5 bags of shredded coconut (if you measure, it would be about 6 tightly packed cups)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1tsp pure almond extract

Throw in a bowl, mix well. Then mix it some more, because you definitely didn't mix it well enough.

Grease your hands.

Make tablespoon size balls, please on greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart 

Bake at 350º for 10 minutes 

*Watch them- they should NOT be too brown, just a little color, like the picture above.

Cool and eat. 

For extra oomph, drizzle or dip in chocolate and cool again. 

Eat.

Messy kitchen picture via

~CK