A challenging weekend.  Abby’s birthday is next week, which is Easter, so we decided to hold her party a week earlier.  So I got to play host to nine 12-13 girls while Grant and Henry did some other stuff (like get a yellow belt in karate – go Henry!).  Anyway, trying to figure out what to do for Mummy-Abby time this weekend was interesting, considering most of today was just us two, either getting ready for the party or actually in the party.  Here was the menu for her lunch:

Main course:

• taco nacho dippo thingos – taco meat in a bowl that you dip tortilla chips into, you can also put other fixings (like cheese, avocado, sour cream etc) on top but it’s just fun to eat!
• BBQ meatlovers pizza – BBQ sauce with pepperoni, bacon, turkey and pineapple
• healthy stuff – carrots, celery, cucumber and bell peppers (capsicum for the Australians reading this!)

Dessert:

• fairy bread – hopefully you don’t need me to explain what that is
• chocolate crackle cookies – the subject of this post
• healthy stuff – make-your-own fruit salad with bananas, blueberries, mango, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries
• THE cake to end all cakes.

So while I didn’t make the cake (thanks to my wonderful husband, who is the pancake guru), I have to show off the photo of the cake – layers of pancakes with maple syrup and chocolate sauce with cookies & cream Easter eggs on top …

But, back to the cookies.  Part of my ideas for what to do for Abby’s party involved making some sugar cookie dough, rolling it out and having the girls cut out the shapes of their hands and decorate them – kind of artsy-crafty, kind of food-related, definitely a time-waster!  I got the idea from an episode of the Pioneer Woman and the recipe can be found here and part of it involved an egg yolk glaze.  So, me not wanting to waste anything thought about what recipes I could use the egg whites in … and immediately thought of these cookies.  And yes, they were on Abby’s list of recipes she wanted to do with me.  The recipe can be found here …

These have to be up there with my favorite cookies – crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.  And naturally gluten and dairy free.  Not sugar-free, though, there’s a heap of powdered sugar in these!  And for the first time in ages, I didn’t lick the bowl, or have spoonful after spoonful of the dough before it was cooked.  And I’ve only had 2 of the finished products.  Kind of helps when you can give that privilege to your kids, I guess!

So the party went off really well (I think).  And the only pressing issue we have right now is what to do with all the leftovers?  Any takers??

Until next time, enjoy cooking at home … with kids!

Sarah