I’m searching for Mrs. Baldino. She was a patient of my Dad’s during the 1950s and 60s in the Bronx. She made the most incredible Chocolate Walnut Cookies. If any of my readers by chance knew her or her family, please let them know I would love to have her recipe!
Daddy came home every night for dinner. When he came through the front door, he always announced his arrival whistling a special tune. I can’t reproduce it but can still hear it in my mind as a happy memory.
As thrilled as we were to see Daddy after a long day, we were even happier when he arrived with that blue box under his arm.
Daddy was a physician, and many of his patients (especially the older Italian ladies) brought him edible gifts for the family. They all had their own specialty, and some became “regulars” …Mrs. Biacco always made polenta, and Mrs. Baldino made the most delicious chocolate cookies.
Mrs. Baldino’s cookies came in a blue Graham Cracker box, lined with wax paper. We always wanted to eat them immediately, even though Mom tried to get us to wait until after dinner. These rich soft chocolate gems were studded with walnuts and remained just as tasty even after a few days when they became more crispy than chewy. You could never eat just one.
As a child, I never thought about the recipe. My Mom always believed Graham Crackers were used in the recipe since there always seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of those blue boxes on hand.
I have always preferred savory to sweet, but I find that as I’m “maturing”, I seem to crave the desserts I never particularly desired growing up. I was one of the few kids without a sweet tooth. There were a few exceptions to prove the rule, and Mrs. Baldino’s cookies was one of them.
So now I find myself with the craving and no recipe.
Whenever I’ve come across a cookie recipe I think might be a match, I’ve diligently clipped and saved it. I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to begin my journey.
I invite you to come along for the ride! …and if any of you out there knew Mrs. Baldino from The Bronx and her cookies, please share the recipe! I’d also appreciate any recipes you have that might be close!
To learn about my numerous attempts at recreating these delicious cookies, as well as my final recipe (that came really close) read on… and don’t forget to hit the like button!
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