Treats (Part One)

One of my favorite Christmas cookies. A childhood favorite mom says came out of a Pillsbury Bake-off cookbook a long time ago.

Buttermint Tuck-ins

1/2 C oleo, softened
1 1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 envelopes premelted unsweetened chocolate
(or substitute 3 Tb unsweetened cocoa plus 1 Tb vegetable oil for each envelope)
2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 C buttermints (about 36)

Preheat oven to 375F

In a large mixer, combine oleo, brown sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, egg and chocolate. Blend at low speed; beat at medium speed until light and well mixed. Blend in flour, salt and soda (mix first in separate bowl); mix until combined. Drop by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Press a buttermint into each cookie, carefully smoothing dough over mint to cover. Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are slightly firm. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Notes:

Can you even find oleo any more?? This recipe is an oldy but goody, probably from WWII days or shortly thereafter, when oleo everywhere (or all there was available). In our time, butter is plentiful, and the fat of choice. Hard to remember a time when there was a true shortage of anything in this country.

Also the melted baking chocolate envelopes are a thing of the past. I use the solid unsweetened chocolate these days. An even softer cookie would probably result from using the oil and cocoa substitute.

Parchment paper instead of grease is the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned.

If you can fit two buttermints in the cookie, so much the better. I find it easier to just pick up a small amount of dough and roll it in my hands with the mints inside for smooth, complete coverage.