The other night I had a need for a sweet treat. A need, but not really the desire to full-on make something. I looked around at the odds and ends I had to use up and it came to me: Rose. You see, I’ve had this recipe floating around in my collection of recipes ever since high school and it’s called quite simply Rose (for my mom’s coworker who shared the original recipe). I’ve carried this recipe around for years, but I haven’t made it. I remembered it being deliciously rich and chocolately and easy; and for some reason it just remained overlooked, perhaps because it was so unassumingly simple. Anyway, I decided it was time to use the recipe and I began looking for it among my collection and realized I had purged it before we moved. Because, “I never make this anyway and I’m sure I can remember this recipe it’s so easy…” And now I needed it and it wasn’t there. I could see my mom’s handwriting, I could picture the finished product, but could I duplicate it without the instructions?
I know it seems crazy, but I’ve been a little dubious about doing things from memory of late. Maybe it’s because we’re in a new land, new language and I can’t quite seem to retain things the way I used to do (like recall a newly “learned” word for even five minutes), or maybe it’s because our three year old is beating the pants off of me every time we play Memory together, or maybe…but no, I just pushed my hesitations to the side and said to myself, “Rose, this one’s for you.” =)
Now, I’m still not sure if I got it exactly right, but we think it tastes pretty darn good. Here’s my version if any of you are feeling unsure of yourselves and need a shot in the arm or a hug around the waist that stays there =)…just share, ok?
Here it is:
Rose
Cookie crust: Crumble up your favorite cookies for crust (as I recall the original used graham crackers—we cannot find those easily here so I used spice cookies and they were delicious). Add enough melted butter to make crumbs wet and then press into bottom of dish (I used a pie plate). Bake for a few minutes at 350 or so, or skip to next part (it's a very forgiving recipe!).
Filling: add layer of chocolate chips to crust, after add a layer of sweetened flaked coconut, and then pour sweetened condensed milk over top (I used half of a can for the pie dish).
That’s it. Bake for 30 minutes (I think) or until the coconut looks nicely browned. Enjoy warm. And give thanks for the Rose’s of the world who selflessly share delicious confidence boosters.
