Last night was an exercise in patience for Hubby and me. No, I take it back. It wasn’t an exercise; it was a final exam. The biggie. The one upon which the final grade counted.
To complete the exam, we were given two things. First, Exhibit A; a five year-old strong-willed, independent, tired little girl with a very bad ear infection. Second, Exhibit B; a bottle of Amoxacillin; a thick, creamy liquid that had been flavored a disgustingly sweet and not-real-tasting orange by a kind pharmacist who thought she was helping.
The test was for us to get a teaspoon of Exhibit B into Exhibit A.
The first try was the simple route. Talk up the yummy Exhibit B, pour it into the cup and give it to Exhibit A to drink. Grade: F
Exhibit B barely touched Exhibit A’s lips before the cup was put down quickly, a cup of water found and the contents drained in record time. Very dramatic. But very unsuccessful.
The second try leaned toward compassion. Exhibit A begged to have Exhibit B mixed with ice cream. Promises of finishing all of it were made over and over so we consented. The only ice cream we had was Mint Chocolate Chip. But Exhibit A wanted it anyway. Mint chocolate chip and fake orange; yum. Grade: F
Thirty minutes later we were still sitting at the kitchen table while Exhibit A was taking miniscule sips of now liquified mint chocolate chip ice cream with orange medicine mixed in. Threats didn’t work. If something smaller than a sip passed by her lips, intense gagging proceeded. Very dramatic. But very unsuccessful.
The third try was brute force. Hubby held Exhibit A on his lap while I used a dropper to slurp up a half teaspoon of Exhibit B. Pushing it between firmly closed lips was difficult, but not impossible. One quick squirt and Exhibit B was delivered to Exhibit A. Grade: F
We didn’t have the heart to go through the process again so only half of Exhibit B made it to Exhibit A.
Even though this final exam took over an hour to accomplish, Dudette got over it within minutes. She was her happy, cheerful self as she got ready for bed and we read her story and said prayers before tucking her in to sleep. In fact, I think it did some good in helping her realize that if she just gets it over with quickly, it’s done, because this morning I poured the teaspoon’s worth in a cup and she downed it immediately; no fuss.
Maybe we didn’t fail after all.
Even so, I haven’t forgotten about what the three of us went through last night. We have ten days of giving Dudette this medicine twice a day. She needs something to help get it down if she’s going to be brave enough to take it like she did this morning.
Chocolate cookies ought to work.
The Process
There is nothing more simple than these in my book. In these days of creaming butter and sugar together and getting multiple bowls dirty, this was a welcome change.
The recipe uses one bowl. Into it mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. When that’s done, pour in melted butter. Add two lightly beaten eggs and mix everything well.
That’s it. Isn’t that fantastic?
All that’s left is to roll pieces of dough into balls, flatten them a little, make the thumbprint, fill it and bake. Be sure to make the thumbprint nice and deep and not very big.Everything spreads and the thumbprint will disappear otherwise.
See, when the process is so short, the introduction can be longer.
The Verdict
In all honesty, the ease of preparation make these a total win. I am thrilled that making the cookies took just one bowl and a wooden spoon. They also went over very well. Who couldn’t like chocolate cookies with all kinds of goodies tucked in like gifts? I don’t know that they’ll make it easier to get the medicine down, but for now, the smile is worth it.
What I’d Do Different Next Time
The cute peppermint kisses that are out now turn brown as they bake. When I put the second batch in the oven, I left a couple bare and added the kiss as soon as they came out. It worked fantastically.
Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies – print this recipe
from Food Network Magazine, December 2011
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Sprinkles, mini marshmallows, mini candies or dried fruit, for filling
Whisk the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and eggs and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in 2 separate small bowls. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly flatten each ball with your fingers and make a deep 1/2-inch-wide indentation in the centers with your thumb. Place your choice of filling in the indentation.
Bake the cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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