Foodie Friday: Church Window Cookies

Well, dear reader, happy Black Friday. I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with love, laughter, family, friends, and good food. On this Friday after Thanksgiving, it almost pains me to write about food. By the time the day was done yesterday, I could not stand the smell of turkey. I didn't even eat dessert, dear reader. That is how overfilled I was after our meal. I made it a point to ask everyone what part of the meal they were most excited to eat. Not surprisingly, everyone had a different answer. I, however, am the only one who looks forward to the cranberry sauce and declares the cranberry sauce my favorite part of the meal. Each year, I make a double batch of cranberry sauce and eat it on everything from leftover turkey sandwiches to leftover dinner rolls. The poor cranberry sauce is underappreciated and overlooked.

From now until Christmas, I plan to share a Christmas cookie recipe with you. Some recipes have been in my family for years, while others are new or have been adopted into our holiday cookie repertoire. Although individuals come in and out of our lives, their impact and influence help us to grow, affect our perception of the world around us, and often expand our palate. Childhood friends, former boyfriends, college friends, and friends made at various jobs impacted my cooking style, introduced me to new creative ideas, and helped me become a more adventurous eater. My elementary and high school best friend introduced me to Italian peach wedding cookies. My Grandma Tillie always made jam-filled thumbprint cookies. My Grandma Haney made soft molasses cookies each Christmas, which were my favorite. Grambarb introduced me to peanut butter balls, which are at the top of The Bibbed Wonder's favorite cookie list. A former boyfriend's mother shared an easy, no-bake church window cookie recipe. When I make or eat each of these cookies, I am constantly reminded of the people who introduced me to the recipe.

My first real boyfriend's family became my second family in high school. I absolutely adored his mother. Jackie was from England, and I loved everything about this woman. From the way she spoke with her "charming" accent to her sense of humor and fiery temperament. Jackie was kind, fun to be with, and welcoming. I still remember being at her house during the holidays and helping her make what she called church window cookies. This easy, no-bake recipe was new to me, and because it included colorful marshmallows, it became one of my favorites.

It's been thirty years since Jackie has been part of my life, but to this day, I remember those cookies, the day we made them in her kitchen and the warmth of our relationship. I remember her with fondness. It has taken me thirty years to find a recipe close to the one she used when making these colorful, delightful cookies. This year will be the first time I will enjoy them again in more than thirty years.

Church Window Cookies

• ½ cup butter

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 (10-ounce) package rainbow colored miniature marshmallows

• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

• parchment paper

  
  

Place butter in a 2 ½ quart glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a 3-quart saucepan of gently boiling water (the upper bowl should not touch the water). Cook over the simmering water until the butter is melted.

Add chocolate chips; stir until melted, then remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally. 

Add marshmallows to melted chocolate; gently stir to coat.

Place two 15x18-inch pieces of parchment paper on the work surface. In the middle of each piece of parchment, place half of the chocolate marshmallow mixture and shape it into a 12-inch-long log using a rubber spatula.

Wrap logs tightly in the parchment and transfer them to the refrigerator; chill logs for 30 minutes.

Place two new 15x18-inch pieces of parchment paper on a work surface and sprinkle each with 1 cup of flaked coconut. Carefully transfer chilled logs (they will still be soft) to the new pieces of parchment with coconut.

Roll logs in coconut and gently press to cover the outside and sides fully.

Wrap coated logs tightly in the new parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 4 hours up to overnight.

When well chilled, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Store in the refrigerator or freeze until ready to use.

On this snowy Black Friday, welcome the official start to the holiday season. Enjoy shopping if that is your thing, and take advantage of the great deals on our website. (Why go out in the cold when you can have fantastic soap shipped right to your door?) It's cookie-making time, so keep washing your hands.