The Cookie Mallet!

  Down in the Deep South, we try our best to pass along kindness to others and we repay kindness done to us.  It is one of those things that we learned from an early age.  Be nice to folks.  It never hurt anyone to show a bit of kindness and returning a favor is just as important as doing one in the first place.  More oft than not, folks do not expect anything in return but, you can bet your bottom dollar, they are tickled pink to see something come their way.  It was when I was "returning a kindness" that I made a happy discovery.  A couple of days ago, Son had to repair the pump on the well.  The air volume control went a bit haywire and started spraying water out of its side.  We called around in search of the part but could not find one handy so he went to ask my brother for help.  Son was duly instructed on how to jury-rig the pump until the part could be ordered.    That bit of kindness saved us a lot of trouble and we did not go without water.  So...it was my turn to share a kindness.

  Learning from Mom, all of my aunts and my grandmother, baking is the best way to let folks know you appreciate them.  There is just something special about home baked goodies!  Knowing my brother loves cookies, I decided to bake up a batch for him.  The dough for peanut butter cookies was mixed and I had all of those cute little balls rolled when I realized the time consuming part was next.  Pressing the balls down with a fork always bores me.  Press this way...press that way.  Why?  If the whole process is merely to smash the cookie flat and leave some little ridges to add crisp, there had to be an easier way.  Thoughts of what to use started rolling about in the brain.  Potato smasher??  Spatula??  Duh!  Meat tenderizer mallet!! Yep!!  Now that is using the brain!  Here was using a bit of ingenuity to get the job done!

  Who uses one of those things to mutilate meat anyway?  Just buy a decent piece of meat in the first place.  Those little pyramid shaped mounds on the metal worked like a charm and, in just a few moments, the entire sheet of cookies was flattened!  The hash marks were perfectly spaced and the cookies were evenly flattened.  Keep in mind that I GENTLY pressed the cookie dough!  I did not smack it like you would using a hammer.  GENTLY!!   Good job...but would they crisp well with this method?  

  Yes, indeed!  The mallet trick worked well.  The cookies were soft with a slightly crispy top.  (Actually, these were some of the best peanut butter cookies that I have ever made!)  I quickly packed a container full of cookies and trotted myself over to my brother's place to return the kindness.  He was thrilled by the act and happily started munching his cookies.  Favor returned and I now have found a use for a dysfunctional kitchen utensil!  Cookie Mallet for the win!