Dora’s Romany Creams

Way back in the 80’s, I met Dora.  We have drifted apart since then but many happy memories remain.  Dominique, Dora and I had lots of fun together, most memorably while the Blarney Brothers were performing at The Barn, at the Athlone Hotel.  Well, usually a few neon letters were on the blink so we partied at the ‘lone ote’, ‘At hot’ or other interesting combinations.  We were there every Wed and Fri for a few years.  I was beyond tickled a few months ago when visiting Durban, my brother invited Cliff and I to join him at the yacht club for the MSC end of race party, and none other than the Blarney Brothers were playing.  My goth inclined husband looked more than a little nonplussed but I was transported and filled with joy.

Anyway I digress, way back then Dora shared her ‘Romany Creams’ recipe with me and I have made it regularly ever since.   I also do a similar recipe for Chocolate Creams in the Lynn Bedford Hall book, The best of cooking in South Africa.  Both are excellent, however Dora’s recipe has no egg and therefore needs no tweaking to cater for Fjord’s egg allergy.   When cookie recipes suggest sticking 2 biscuits together with icing or chocolate I generally choose rather to spread the icing or choc on single biscuits but you can do whatever you prefer.

DORA’S ROMANY CREAMS

Ingredients

250 g margarine

1 ½ cups coconut

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ cup boiling water

3 Tbs cocoa

1 slab milk chocolate for spreading

Instructions

1. Cream margarine & sugar well
2. Add dry ingredients
3. Add cocoa dissolved in boiling water
4. Mix well and drop by teaspoonful on a greased baking tray (or on baking paper)
5. Bake at 180º C for 10 – 15 mins

When cool melt chocolate in microwave for about 30 seconds and either sandwich cookies together with chocolate or spread on individual cookies