This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Dorie’s Cookies is so simple but it definitely has a bit of pizzazz (on the palate… mine definitely are not as pretty as the ones in the book!).
Dorie says:
Once upon a time, the Nabisco company made a cookie called Melody. They were large and round — I’m told by a cookie-dunker that they were just the right size to t into a glass of milk — had scalloped edges and were topped with sparkly sugar. They were thin, crunchy and more cocoa-flavored than chocolatey. They were beloved. But evidently not enough, because sometime in the 1970s, production ceased. Search — I did — and you’ll find eulogies to the Melody, but no recipe. Until now.
After I’d made many cookies using the Do-Anything Chocolate Cookie Roll-Out Dough, my husband said, “There’s something about these that reminds me of Melody cookies. The flavor is so similar, but the texture is off. If they had some snap, maybe, . . . “ Turns out, he was right: Crunch was the missing note!
Are they just the same as the Melodies of childhood? I don’t know. However, these deliver the childish delight of a Melody and the possibility of more grown-up pleasures. My smaller cookies are still a good size for dunking into milk, but they’re also right for dipping into a shot of espresso.
I made these the day after I got home and was thankful for the simple recipe – basically a shortbread-y dough with cocoa powder that you roll, freeze, cut and bake.
I definitely need to get some sanding sugar (like this) for projects like this – I used Demerara (not this one but similar) and it kinda sorta stayed intact but some melted as you can see… Not quite the pretty cookies that Dorie’s are…
But the taste? So good. Neil called them “odd” in a good way – I think it’s because of the texture, it’s definitely “snappy” and maybe looking at these you wouldn’t expect them to be. In any case, the flavour and texture really work together and Dorie’s right – they are perfect for dipping in an espresso 🙂
Get the recipe for Dorie Greenspan’s Melody Cookies on page 206 of Dorie’s Cookies.
Want more cookie recipes? Buy Dorie’s Cookies on Amazon
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Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Dorie’s Cookies” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing so. All opinions 100% my own.
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i think they look great and i like the golden sparkle from the demerara. i found these to be a perfect coffee sidekick, too.
So pretty!
Yes, these cookies were delish – so good I made them twice.
We are enjoying these. I made the whole recipe to put extra in the freezer.