I got an interesting start to my Halloween weekend last night with a sneak preview of The Fourth Kind. Going into it I had only the vaguest sense of what it was about, and afterward my first reaction was one of relief that the tickets were complimentary. To be fair, I guess it wasn’t all that bad; it’s just that aliens and docu-dramas aren’t really my scene.
I won’t delve too much into the plot, but the reason why it’s being hyped up so much is that it self-referentially combines dramatized reenactments of seemingly paranormal activity in Nome, Alaska, with [purportedly] actual footage from the archive of the real Dr. Tyler who was investigating said activity circa 2000. I was pretty skeptical of the whole thing, mostly because I simply don’t believe in extraterrestrials, and also due to the reality of the fact that doctoring “real” footage is pretty easy to do these days. Aside from the film’s completely anticlimactic ending (I can’t even call it a conclusion), I felt that the dramatized portions were way over-the-top. The viewing experience was highly reminiscent of sitting through a 2-hour ghost hunter special on the Travel Channel. Like I said – not my thing. But when the screenplay wasn’t being totally laughable, I do owe the director some credit for successfully building up considerable suspense and intensity – perhaps too much because the ending was such a let-down.
Anyways, I actually made these a few days ago for my RA’s birthday, but then I got caught up with homework (hence the late post). Two of my tasters proclaimed them the “perfect cookie,” and I kind of have to agree. They’re just sweet enough and have a nice, soft consistency that’s quite simply, well, perfect.
Recipe (credit to The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau):
- 1 1/4 C all purpose flour, sifted
- 3/4 t baking soda
- 3/4 t salt
- 1 1/2 t Ener-G egg replacer
- 2 T water
- 1 1/4 C light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3/4 C natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 1/2 C nondairy butter
- 3 T nondairy milk
- 1 T vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Whip the egg replacer and water together in a blender or food processor, until thick and creamy.
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric hand mixer until well blended. Add the egg replacer mixture. Bea until just blended. Add the flour. Do not overmix.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake. Let cool on baking sheet for several minutes before removing to wire rack.
Yields about 2 dozen cookies.
