We’ve all been sick with a trampoline virus.
I call it that because every time we think we’re on the mend, it bounces back again and knocks us out for a couple more days. It’s been doing the rounds of the neighbourhood, and our own little family unit, for the last few weeks.
I’m finally feeling a bit better, but poor Pete is still quite sick, and now Big Boy is coming down with it again. The change in weather hasn’t helped – as I’m writing this, we’re coming out of the wettest April in Sydney in 21 years.
Anyway, enough whinging, I decided that the boys (and the sick neighbours) needed a treat. I wasn’t feeling well enough to bake anything from scratch, but thankfully I had a few rolls of freezer cookie dough stashed away for emergencies.
Today, the freezer yielded a batch of Shortbread Cookies, coated in demerara sugar (Small Man’s favourites)…
…a tray of spiced Speculaas, perfect for dunking in a hot cup of tea…
…and for Pete, these oozy, crumbly World Peace Cookies. They’re made with Dutched cocoa and 70% dark chocolate callets, making them a very grown up treat.
Everyone was fed and happy, and best of all, there was almost no washing up!
If you’d like to fill your freezer with future cookies, you might enjoy these recipes:
They’re the perfect standby for when friends drop in unexpectedly, when small people announce they’re supposed to take something to school for a class party, or when everyone is down and out for the count with a trampoline virus.
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Your freezer is like Mary Poppins handbag :D
Get well soon Mary Poppins! (said in a sort of mockney Dick Van Dyke sort of accent)
Wasn’t that landau something though… ?
In my freezer all you find is ice and meats…no goodies like these…Hope you are all up and around real soon. This weather has been crazy.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I keep bags of individually rolled cookies in my freezer so that I can bake one (or six) in my toaster oven when I feel like a treat. One freshly baked cookie beats a dozen two day old cookies any time!
Do I have to be sick to have one?
Can I get sick so I can come to your place so I can have one. Your freezer sure produces some mighty good cookies luv :)
Celia,
You are hands-down one of the best neighbors I’ve ever heard of!
My neighbors think I’m pretty great just because I remember them at Christmas and when someone has a lengthy illness- you come from a sick bed and cookie them with love!
Definitely golden, my dear!
Hope all of yours are well soon and stay that way!
What a great idea. There’s just two of us in my house and making a dessert can be troublesome, all those leftovers.
I hope you’re all feeling really well soon.
I really admire your organisational skills, Celia. If I were too ill to cook, my family would starve!
As my younger son and his partner were coming to stay for a short visit, I also made a batch of World Peace cookies as I know he loves them, and now, so does his partner! I have been asked for the recipe, they like them so much, she says they are the best cookies she has tasted. I’m pleased to say mine look just like yours!
There’s nothing like the change of seasons to bring on a new round of viruses, is there?!
Although choc chip cookies always make me feel better.
I hope you’re all feeling much better soon, it’s so annoying to keep getting better and then feel worse again.
I’m very impressed by all your cookies. My freezer is full of random oddments. I could feed quite a lot of people quite a lot of cake, but they’d all get something different!
I’ll have to investigate those world peace cookies further…
I love the “world peace” cookies. What a great name. You know, in discussing elderberries, it didn’t occur to me to mention their health-giving qualities. If you have some still, you could make a syrup with them, perhaps throw in some ginger as well. My mum swears by it as an elixir for all kinds of ills. It is historical too. Culpepper doesn’t mention Elder except to say that it would be a waste of time to write about something everyone knows so well!
I hope the change of month brings a change of health in your neighbourhood. I’m sure the cookies helped everyone along.
Again, you have the luckiest neighbours. I wish my neighbours were friendly enough that I could bake for them. Keeping it all in the house is dangerous business!
Sorry to hear you’ve all been/are sick – I hope you all get better soon. I love the name of ‘world peace cookie’ too – wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing to drop on countries instead of the traditional ‘take that and that!” And just imagine going to the doctor and coming away with a prescription for 3 cookies 3 times a day – the possibilities for Cookie Power are endless!!
Get better soon, my friend!
We all had something like whooping cough back in February and passed it back and forth like a hot potato.
tea and soup… ginger… tea and soup.
Big hugs,
Maz
Bugger. Sorry to hear you have all been sick Celia. Nothing worse than a trampoline virus. Sending you and your men folk happy healthy vibes. Biscuits always sooth ailments I say.
(…and it has been rather a lot of rain!)
So sorry that you have all been feeling under the weather – so not fun.
Your freezer cookies look wonderful.
:-) Mandy
OOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo world peace cookies! Yes please!
Hope you all get better and get off that trampoline soon!
I’ve never heard it called trampoline virus but I know exactly what you mean and will be using the phrase from now on.
I hope you guys kick this virus soon. You were very kind to bake the cookies (oh now I’m gonna sound like my mom) but don’t try to do too much too soon. Take care and get well soon.
Hope you are all feeling well very soon! It is no fun being sick. We’ve had a very wet spring as well. The mushrooms are doing quite well in spots of the yard because of all the rain. Too bad they’re not edible:)
Thank you for all the cookie ideas!! I’m going to try one this week.
Hi Celia, I hope you’re on the mend soon.
Thank you all! We’re still not great – hopefully we’ll shake it soon…
Cookie dough in the freezer…how perfectly wonderful for short notice baking! Hoping you bounce of that trampoline virus for good this week. Tea and cookies sounds like just the healer…
Thanks Chris, they’ve been marvelously therapeutic. The WPC are a real winner – they seem to make everyone feel better! ;-)
I love the emergency cookie dough roll in the freezer. Don’t you feel like such a star when you pull it out and have freshly baked cookies on the table in less than 15 minutes?!
Hope you are feeling better after yesterday’s day of sunshine.
Thanks love. What I really need is a steaming hot bowl of laksa.. :)
I hope you are all feeling better – I am SO impressed that even in the midst of your crisis you managed to produce perfectly rounded freezer cookies! Mine always come out wonky on one side, but they still taste great!!!
We have already (shameless copycats) shortbread, world peace and speculaas in the freezer – must try the almond bread. next.
Anne, I’m so glad you like the freezer cookies too! The almond bread is very nice, but much harder on your hands to cut.
I once read somewhere that if you turn your cookie log as you slice it, the cookies will end up rounder? I just use a very sharp Santoku knife and cut them while still partially frozen if I can.
Hope you’re feeling better. With this variety of cookies, I’m sure you are!
Thanks Oz! We’re were all feeling a bit better yesterday except for Pete, and he’s now on antibiotics.
Cookies sound better than medicine any day. Must get my freezer stocked up. Hope you are all feeling well on the mend my now. You’re having a really wet April, we’ve had the driest April ever (since records began anyway).
Choc, thanks love! That’s amazing – I wish we could send some of our water to you. It’s just running off…
Oh you poor things, I wish I could send you a pot of steaming chicken soup! Cookies always make the world a brighter place and I bet the neighbours loved them.
Hi Celia,
Tonight I was lucky enough to sample your sago pudding, and then the amazing 74% chocolate while dining up the street. You know where…
Wow. We were all gobsmacked.
Thank you so much!
Ray
Ray darlin’, next time pop up and have a cuppa with us! :) Celia x