I don’t want to get into a debate about global warming. I’m a scientist so I respect the recent evidence that something is happening. Thing is, whether you just look at the history of the ice ages or go back for tens of millions of years, there have been significant cycles of climate change. Long before there were SUVs or a Chinese economy, there were dramatic dips and peaks in temperature. Of course, with six billion humans now, it’s certain that we have some impact. We may not be “causing” the changes, but we contribute to them. So, lowering our carbon footprint is a good hedge.
Oh dear, the “hedge” word. It has such an evil connotation after the financial meltdown. Wait, did global warming cause the financial debacle? No, we can’t overreach. We need to chill. I have the solution.
Last week I wanted to browse cookbooks. With a chill factor near zero, I did not have the ambition to visit my local bookstore. My front room was more than adequate. Suzen and I have a serious collection of over 3,000 cookbooks. Thanks to me, it’s a bit dessert heavy but it’s much too late to change that fact of life.
It’s fun to browse our bookshelves. New books that we know we need to test and blog on. And old favorites, some long buried but never forgotten. Like Rose Natafln’s Grandma Rose’s Book of Sinfully Delicious Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Cheese Cakes, Cake Rolls & Pastries. 
With roots in Russia, Rose created a successful depression-era restaurant in Toledo, Ohio with her husband. Then she moved to Portland, Oregon and established another landmark. In the 50’s and 60’s Rose was at home in a community filled with Russian, German, and Scandinavian bakeries.
I grew up in Portland. I can tell you that a first-grader with twenty cents in his pocket could walk home from school and have many choices on his route. I usually found a two-fisted brownie. Frosted. With walnuts.
Rose is gone, her restaurant long gone. Despite the word “sinful” in her book title, I’m sure Rose has ascended to the Great Bakery in the Sky. I even know what she’s responsible for. Brownies. Although in Rose’s book this delight is simply called Chocolate Layer Cookies. A standard brownie base is topped with mint cream filling then crowned with a sweet chocolate glaze. Serve these cookies chilled and you get a snap as you penetrate the glaze and mint topping, then glide through the brownie. The coolness in your mouth is eased by the warmth of chocolate. It’s not a cookie. It’s an experience.
If you already own Rose’s book, hold on to it. On Amazon, the price for a copy is now 20 times what I paid for it in 1975. I think my new hedge against financial meltdown is going to be dessert books.
Chocolate Layer Cookies
Cookie Layer
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup sweet butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup slice nuts [pecans, walnuts, or almonds]
½ cup unsifted, all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Thoroughly grease a 9” square pan. Melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water. In a bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Add nuts, flour and chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool.
Mint Cream Filling
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons softened sweet butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¾ teaspoon peppermint flavoring
Beat together all the ingredients until smooth. If you like, sprinkle a drop of green coloring in this mint cream.
Spread the filling evenly over the cookie layer, cover and chill until firm. About 1 hour.
Chocolate Glaze
2 ounces sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt together all ingredients over hot water.
Drizzle the glaze over the mint topping. Cover and chill again until firm. Cut the layer into bite-sized squares and place in paper candy cups.
Source: Grandma Rose’s Book of Sinfully Delicious Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Cheese Cakes, Cake Rolls & Pastries by Rose Nataflin