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Chocolate No-Bakes w/Fig & Orange Cognac

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Is it cold where you are but warm inside–bundled up under covers, cold bare floor–
or simply warm in the heart…
All the above?

Or are you on the Florida Keys where you will spend Thanksgiving through Christmas—
where the sun is a ball of orange warming your back?

I love the light coming through a beautiful window, don’t you? And the elegance of gorgeous architecture, priceless; vintage, Victorian… It is art.
Not just a window.
It’s a good day for a cookie day!
Let’s gourmet-it-up.
Let’s fancy-up this bite.
Let’s get dark and sultry, warm in the veins! We can so do this, it’s our call! It’s a passionate nature; “superficial vein”.
“What?”

I love words.
Grand Marnier is “the bomb”–always has been;
it’s from France.
It’s Christmas in a bottle.
It’s spike-the-holiday-pastries time of doing with this liquid.
It’s holy water.
It says, “Let’s dress up your bright red dress or coat/jacket with this nip of cheer and celebration!”
Shine a shoe.
Light the candles or just ring a bell.
But do spike the cookies or cake.
Why not spike holiday foods?
It brings out a richness of flavor. It also adds a moistness.
And it’s festive.
We’re giving this vintage cookie “pizzazz”–
we’re giving it some glamour,
even though vintage era had a fine elegance
that is still vibrant with its own unique beauty.

“Thank you, parents; grandparents, aunts and uncles who passed this on to me.”
Age is youth.
Aging is youthful.
To be aged is young.
To make this batch, what we’re going to call,
“Chocolate No-Bakes w/Fig & Orange Cognac”–
this brand of peanut butter works the very best for this–
SMUCKER’S NATURAL Peanut Butter.
I’ve tried other brands for this kind of cookie. Always, I go back to this one.
It’s wholesome and real,
deliciously authentic in every way.

Peanut oil settles in the top of the jar from the shelf; so it has to be scraped out into the mixer,
blended well before use.
Grab a heavy pot, a solid Dutch oven, to prevent burning/scorching.
The change-up to this traditional cookie is toasting 1/2 cup walnuts, browning 1 stick salted butter, mixing in 1/2 cup small pieces of cinnamon-sugar figs, and giving it a dripping splash tablespoon of Grand Mariner with its aromatic orange.
Choose rolled oats instead of steal-cut for a softer cookie;
plus, the flakes are smaller.
Measure 3 cups uncooked oats, 2 cups granulated sugar,
4 tablespoons cocoa,
and 1/2 cup half ‘n half cream milk.
Lightly toast the walnuts;
enjoy the aroma.
Melt and lightly brown the butter.
Whisk in the cream.
Next, right away,
whisk in the 1-cup peanut butter.
Stir and boil 1 minute.
Turn off the heat,
quickly stir in a dripping tablespoon of Grand Mariner now!

Dramatics allotted; it’s orange cognac, for crying out loud!
Time to get serious.
Stir it all in–
Fast!
No time to spare.
The longer the wait, the more difficult to stir,
then be able to form into mounds to completely cool.
Can be stored in an airtight, cool place up to 2 weeks.
I find these to taste really good 2 days after they’re made.

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