OFFICIAL STATE COOKIE

House Bill 5919

Sponsor:  Rep. Edward Gaffney

Committee:  Agriculture and Resource Management

Complete to 6-7-04

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5919 AS INTRODUCED 5-18-04

The bill would create a new act to designate the Michigan Treasure Cookie as the official state cookie.

According to the sponsor’s office, the following is the recipe from Defer Elementary School.

Recipe (makes about three dozen cookies)

- 1 ¾ cups of all purpose flour

- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

- ½ teaspoon baking powder

- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt

- 1 cup softened butter or margarine

- 1 cup Pioneer brand granulated sugar

- ½ cup packed Pioneer brand brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

- 1 ½ cups Graceland Fruit brand dried cherries

- Additional granulated sugar

1.                  Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit

2.                  Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Beat butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy (about two minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.  On low speed of mixer, gradually beat in 1/3 of flour mixture at a time, until all is used.  Scrape sides of bowl between additions of flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chunks and cherries.  Refrigerate covered dough for at least one hour.

3.                  Roll chilled dough into golf-ball-sized balls.  Roll the balls in the additional granulated sugar.  Space three inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Gently press with bottom of glass to flatten.  Return remaining dough to the refrigerator until ready to use.

4.                  Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until cookies are set.  Cool cookies about five minutes on cookie sheets; transfer to wire racks.  Cool completely. 

Variations:

- Substitute 1 ½ cups of Graceland Fruit brand dried blueberries instead of dried cherries.

- Add ½ cup chopped Michigan walnuts

FISCAL IMPACT:

            The bill would have no fiscal impact on state or local government.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Mark Wolf

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Robin Risko

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.