Easy cookie recipe has a ‘Cool’ secret ingredient

For the more than 1,000 recipes published in cookbooks and printed in my columns, I’ve had to substitute the generic term for Cool Whip in ingredient listings for any recipes including this product.

The generic term is far more cumbersome: “nondairy frozen whipped topping, thawed.”

This recipe is from my older sister Pam, who uses boxed cake mix to create a delicious, moist cookie that includes Cool Whip as the secret ingredient.

Food scientist William A. Mitchell of Minnesota, who died at age 92 in 2004, invented Cool Whip in 1966 as a frozen staple rival to fresh whipped cream, the latter being far more labor-intensive to prepare and preserve for use as both an ingredient and garnish. (Mitchell also created Tang for the NASA space program; Pop Rocks to crackle in the mouths of eager youths with an adventurous sweet tooth; and powdered egg whites for simplified ease when whipping up instant meringue. He held more than 70 patents during his lifetime, according to Smithsonian Magazine.)

Cool Whip originally was marketed as a “nondairy product.”

In recent years, skim milk was added to the ingredients as well as light cream and sodium caseinate, the latter of which is a milk derivative.

Pam typically uses a yellow cake mix, but she has found any flavor of choice works just as well.

Pam’s “Cool” Cookie Recipe

Makes 2 dozen cookies 1 carton (8 ounces) Cool Whip, thawed

1 egg

1 box (14 ounces) yellow cake mix (follow high-altitude directions on box) 1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup ground pecans 1 cup pecan halves Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup of ground pecans with cake mix in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add egg and fold in Cool Whip and mix well until smooth.

3. Drop batter by heaping teaspoon on cookie sheet and garnish each cookie with one pecan half.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.

“go to”