Too Many Cookies..or Cookie Pudding!

Cookies! Lots and lots of cookies were delivered to my house over the holidays. They were all made-from-scratch, some were artfully decorated and all incredibly delicious. I am not complaining about receiving so many thoughtful gifts as I love cookies of any kind. But.....I also baked cookies..lots and lots of made-from-scratch, artfully decorated and ummm..well, delicious cookies! So you can began to understand that there might be a bit of a problem here. I had cookies on trays, platters and in jars! I had cookies on the table, buffet and shelf! Everywhere you turned..there were cookies! I ate cookies, far too many and it soon began to show! My son and husband ate cookies! Our friends and neighbors ate cookies! Still there are cookies. Just what do you do with left-over Christmas cookies after everyone begins to tire of them? Well, I could freeze them..if I had room in the freezer..but, I don't. I could give them away..but everyone else has an abundance of them. I could toss them, but that seems to be such a waste and besides..those that sent the cookies to me, worked hard to bake them. I cannot toss them! Then I had a hankering for Bread Pudding! Well, how about Cookie Pudding??

Cookie Pudding

4 cups of broken cookie pieces..any kind

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 eggs (well beaten)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Butter a large baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, salt and cornstarch) and set aside. In a large saucepan, place milk, cream and butter and over LOW heat melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm. Add well beaten eggs and dry ingredients to the milk mixture. Blend well and return to MEDIUM heat. Stir continually until this begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir well. Fold in cookie pieces and dried cranberries or raisins. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Serve with a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired!

This recipe does not make the cookies any healthier for you at all! It just sort of disguises them and adds wonderful things like cream and butter to make them a bit more fattening. It is delicious, though and helps use up a bunch of tired cookies! Now..we all will have a reason to diet after New Year's Day! Resolutions, People, resolutions!