National Barbie Day: History, Dolls, Recipe & Cookbooks

Today is National Barbie Day. If the truth be told, I fancied myself too old for Barbie Dolls, so I never had any or played with them. Nevertheless, I secretly admired the dolls for their clothes. I often designed clothes for my paperdolls, and I could easily have seen myself designing for Barbie. Alas, that was another career not fulfilled.(If you're looking for some really outstanding Barbie outfits with impeccable tailoring, design, and details, don't miss my friend Kathleen Taylor's Etsy shop - KathleenTaylorsStuff)

However, since I collect 'theme' cookbooks, and I love to cook and bake, I have several Barbie CookBooks in my collection. My favorite is the first one (1964) Barbie's Easy-As-Pie Cookbook. There have been many more since, but this is the gold standard in my opinion.  Scroll down to see a few of the Cookbooks. I've also posted a recipe from one of the cookbooks for a 'healthier' choice of snack: Granola Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle.

Want to know more about Barbie? From the History Channel: 

On March 9, 1959, the first Barbie doll goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

Eleven inches tall, with a waterfall of blond hair, Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. The woman behind Barbie was Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband in 1945. After seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there was an important niche in the market for a toy that allowed little girls to imagine the future.

Barbie’s appearance was modeled on a doll named Lilli, based on a German comic strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift to adult men in tobacco shops, the Lilli doll later became extremely popular with children. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli and made its own version, which Handler named after her daughter, Barbara. With its sponsorship of the “Mickey Mouse Club” TV program in 1955, Mattel became one of the first toy companies to broadcast commercials to children. They used this medium to promote their new toy, and by 1961, the enormous consumer demand for the doll led Mattel to release a boyfriend for Barbie. Handler named him Ken, after her son. Barbie’s best friend, Midge, came out in 1963; her little sister, Skipper, debuted the following year.

Over the years, Barbie generated huge sales—and a lot of controversy. On the positive side, many women saw Barbie as providing an alternative to traditional 1950s gender roles. She has had a series of different jobs, from airline stewardess, doctor, pilot and astronaut to Olympic athlete and even U.S. presidential candidate. Others thought Barbie’s never-ending supply of designer outfits, cars and “Dream Houses” encouraged kids to be materialistic. It was Barbie’s appearance that caused the most controversy, however. Her tiny waist and enormous breasts–it was estimated that if she were a real woman, her measurements would be 36-18-38–led many to claim that Barbie provided little girls with an unrealistic and harmful example and fostered negative body image.

Despite the criticism, sales of Barbie-related merchandise continued to soar, topping 1 billion dollars annually by 1993. Since 1959, over one billion dolls in the Barbie family have been sold around the world and Barbie is now a bona fide global icon.

Read Barbie Through the Ages Here. 

And, you know Barbie is a chocolaholic. She is very partial to See's Candies, as am I. So I finally got my first Barbie doll when I did a special event for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. The "I Left my Heart in San Francisco" Barbie.  The other See's Candies dolls are dolls that sell at See's. See photos below.

THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES BROWNIES: Girl Scout Cookie Time

I miss seeing Girl Scouts on every street corner, every park, and in front of every supermarket. I enjoyed seeing the girls in their green uniforms and/or mothers and fathers hawking the taste of the season: Girl Scout Cookies. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout, and I used to pound the pavement selling and then delivering Girl Scout Cookies door to door. 

But don't fear, you can still order Girl Scout Cookies online. Even if the actual selling of the cookies has changed, the cookies are still good. And, there are a few new ones this year. See below for the "Line-Up." I haven't tried the Raspberry Rally one, but I'm looking forward to it. It's supposed to taste like thin mint cookies, except raspberry instead of the mint. We'll see, and I'll report back!

Anyway, by this time of year, I have a cupboard filled with Samoas, Tagalongs, and Thin Mints.. well, not the cupboard for the Thin Mints. I put them in the freezer. I've been freezing my Thin Mints for more years than I want to remember. Not that they're being frozen for future times. I just like the taste best that way. It's no secret that my favorite cookies are Thin Mints. Several years ago on the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts, I posted a recipe for Thin Mint Truffles. So easy and delicious.

So this year, I'm posting a recipe for Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies Brownies. Plenty of other ways to incorporate Girl Scout Cookies. Be sure and scroll down for more tips!

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies Brownies

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 Box Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies, crushed into small chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter 9”x9” square baking pan.
In double boiler over low heat, melt butter and chocolate together and remove from heat.
In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
When chocolate/butter mixture has cooled a little, whisk in eggs and vanilla. Note: it is important to cool chocolate/butter mixture or eggs will cook.
Add rest of dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Other things to do with Girl Scout Cookies:
Crush them up and use them as ice cream toppings, in cakes and cookies, truffles and brownies.
Girl Scout Cookies are also great to use as pie crusts, in the same way you'd make a chocolate wafer cookie crust or graham cracker crust. Yum.

So which cookies will you buy? 

2023 Girl Scout Cookies (Check out the New Ones)

OREO RICE KRISPIES TREATS: National Cereal Day

Today is National Cereal Day! Who hasn't made the ultimate cereal treat -- Rice Krispies Treats? They were very special at my house when I was growing up. We didn't have them a lot, but I loved them. I like this recipe because it takes it up a notch and adds chopped Oreos (you can use other cookies, too, but this is a chocolate blog!). Perfect, too, because yesterday was Oreo Day, so it's another two-for. 

This quick and easy recipe for Oreo Rice Krispies Treats is from Kraft, the maker of Rice Krispies, and it only takes 10 minutes. O.K., this may not be the healthiest of treats, but they're certainly delicious! You can always substitute your own puffed rice cereal, sandwich cookies, and homemade marshmallows. Happy National Cereal Day!

As I've mentioned many time, food companies often have fun recipes on their sites! Enjoy!

OREO RICE KRISPIES TREATS

Ingredients
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 pkg (10 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
5 cups KELLOGG’S® RICE KRISPIES® cereal
16 OREO Cookies, coarsely chopped, divided

Directions
Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 sec.
Add cereal and 1 cup chopped cookies; mix well.
Press onto bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cookies; press lightly into cereal mixture to secure. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

OREO PUDDIN' POKE CAKE: National Oreo Day!

Today is National Oreo Day. Oreos are the best selling cookie in the world with more than 450 million Oreo cookies sold since they were created. They are also found in over 100 countries. There are multiple flavors of Oreos, not counting seasonal varieties. Nabisco got the idea from Hydrox which made its debut in 1908, four years before Oresos were placed on store shelves. It wasn't until 1997 that Oreos became kosher when the lard was removed. Oreos are vegan. The 'cream' doesn't contain any dairy.

So to celebrate, I have a recipe for one of the easiest cakes to make, a Poke Cake, aka Puddin' Poke Cake. And for today's holiday that would be an Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake! Obviously this is a very moist cake. A poke cake is usually made with a boxed cake mix and a pudding mix. You poke holes in the cake after it's been baked, but still warm, and you pour the pudding over it. How easy is that? Very Retro!

You'll probably find you have some or all the ingredients for this Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake in your cupboard and fridge. Once you try this, I can guarantee you'll make this more than once. Some people add cool whip as a topping before adding more crushed Oreos, but I don't, but I posted the option below.

OREO PUDDIN' POKE CAKE

Ingredients
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix and (eggs, oil and water for the cake mix)  I like Duncan Hines
2 (4 ounce) packages of Instant Oreo pudding
4 cups whole milk
Bag of Oreo Cookies, chopped or crushed (use the whole bag)

Directions
Make cake mix according to directions (but add a cup of the chopped oreos to batter). Bake according to directions in well-greased 9 x13 pan.
Just before cake is done, start making pudding.
In medium bowl, add milk to pudding mixture and continue to whisk until most of lumps are removed. Let pudding mixture sit for about 2 minutes. Thicken slightly but don't let it get too runny or too thick.
When cake is finished, while still warm, quickly poke holes all over top of cake, about 1-inch intervals using chopsticks, bottom of a wooden spoon, or straw.
Pour pudding mixture all over warm cake. Top with 1/2 the chopped Oreos.
Put cake in refrigerator to cool. About an hour.
Once Oreo Poke Cake is set, top with rest of crushed or chopped Oreo cookies (or at this point you can add a container of Cool Whip--once cake is completely cooled-- and then add the rest of the chopped Oreos)
Keep cake refrigerated.