BRUSH
Keeping It Clean

I love the fall, the air is refreshing, the trees are gorgeous and, best of all, the kitchen doesn't get so hot that you don't want to turn on the oven.

So…turn the oven on, mix up Malted Milk Cookies and "bake" everybody happy!

• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c. light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Add

• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat in

• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. instant hot chocolate mix; 1 envelope
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Stir in very well

• 2 1/2 c. malted milk balls which have been crushed

At this point, you can chill the dough one hour or several hours. The finished cookie looks better and I think tastes better if you do this step.

Preheat oven to 375°

Shape dough into one-inch balls and place them two inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets that have been sprayed with a nonstick spray such as Pam^TM.

Bake about 8 to 10 minutes until firm to the touch.

Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 3 to 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I never leave well enough alone, so I mix some sugar with hot cocoa mix or Ghiradelli^TM brand "Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa" and I roll each raw ball of cookie dough in this mixture and then bake. It tastes delicious and gives the cookies a different look.

This recipe was based on one from Child Magazine, Gruher-Jahr USA Publishing, New York.