Monday, April 5, 2010
Misfortune cookie
Posted by Lauren LaBorde on Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 3:58 PM
Do you ever think to yourself, "I would certainly feel better about eating this cookie if it were sanctioned by the state government through trivial legislation"? Louisiana already has an official drink — milk — along with an official fruit (the strawberry), vegetable (the potato), vegetable plant (Creole tomato) and official doughnut (the beignet, duh). State-food distinction, I imagine, grants its recipient as much power as does a key to a city or an honorary degree from a university.
For anyone wanting to eat only cookies that express true allegiance to the Great State of Louisiana, be grateful there is one brave lawmaker who doggedly pushes her pet projects in the face of such silly things like massive budget cuts that threaten health care and higher education: Democratic state Sen. Yvonne Dorsey.
Full disclosure: I am totally pro-cookies. Although I do disagree with the timing of her proposed legislation. I also completely disagree with her choice of cookie to represent our state: the tea cake. Seriously? Nothing about a cookie that is essentially glorified bread says "Louisiana" to me (if the tea cake has some important role in Cajun or Creole culture of which I am unaware, please enlighten me).
If, say, there were no urgent matters to attend to in state government right now, there are several more appropriate contenders for the state's official cookie. The praline (though that might be considered candy, it's definitely more of a cookie than a tea cake is) would be a no-brainer. I also find our state to be warm and comfortable like a chocolate chip cookie. Or perhaps we could nod to our French roots with the Madeline, our capture our state's simultaneous sweet and spiciness with the snickerdoodle?
What do you think?
via Times-Picayune
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Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
I think your problem with the Tea Cake is that the name covers many different baked goods. The tea cake in my family is a shortbread cookie, a sweetened biscuit flavored with almond or vanilla. My Grandmother used lard, my Mother switched to Crisco, and I use butter. You should try it. How about the macaroon, either coconut or Turkish, or palmiers as the state cookie? I loved both of those as a kid, and am still fond of mildly addicted to . They are both closer to South LA roots than either the madeline or snickerdoodle--which Joy of Cooking (new edition, it isn't listed in the original) says is from New England. The praline is right out, it is a candy masquerading as a cookie.
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My vote goes to the turtle with a cookie base, topped by a heap of smooth chocolate ganache studded with toasted Louisiana pecans. My first choice would be the brown sugar meringues also full of pecans that were made by a little old lady from New Roads but I never learned her secrets and can't duplicate those cookies to this day. I'd be content with macaroons or palmiers and downright pleased with madeleines but, to tell the truth, "tea cakes" sounds like some right-wing euphemism.
couldn't tea cakes include madeleines? I think the tea cake is a nice choice. As a Proustian (and a fat kid who loves cake) I find the madeleines at Croissant D'or to be above reproach. I would be very proud to have such a distinguished pastry represent our state. Note that Ignatius J Reilly & his mama favor macaroons and "wine cakes." Tea Cake also happens to be the name of the protagonist's sexy & adoring young boy-toy in Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God"...
