Confusing Kashrut Labeling

*I got more information. Please read at the end of the post.

When I was shopping the other day for supplies for my TNT family favorite 1, 2, 3 Chocolate Chip Cookies, I almost bought these chocolate chips, because I was attracted to the 60% chocolate.  

But then I looked at the ingredients, and it said חלב milk, even though it also said פרווה Parve, which means no milk/no meat/poultry= good for all sorts of meals. I asked a few people how it could say it has milk if it's parve. Finally, a neighbor read it all very carefully and said that the chocolate chips were produced on machinery that also handles dairy products, so not everyone will consider it truly parve. But she wasn't correct either.

Because apparently, the "milk" notice has nothing to do with kashrut according to someone who was able to discover what it is:

... the notice is for allergy purposes, and the warning is to prevent any lawsuit against the company. The picture does not even show the ingredients, the picture is of the allergy warning. The warning states that it may contain milk but stipulates clearly that it is run on a dedicated parve line only. Basically it is a health statement, not a kashrut statement.

Making My Famous Classic 1, 2, 3 Cookies Sans Scale

Traditional Jewish memorial
Yartzeit candle

Tuesday, when I was sms/negotiating/planning my dinner out with son #1 on my mother's second yartzeit, Jewish anniversary of death, I reminded him that his birthday is in a week. He replied:

"Make me cookies."

Now I knew exactly what cookies he was referring to. They are simple 1, 2, 3 Cookies. The basic ingredients are measured on a food scale and must be in the right weight proportions (I always multiply by two or three,) such as:

• 100 grams sugar (dark brown is best, gives great flavor)
• 200 grams margarine
• 300 grams flour (whole-wheat gives great flavor)
• however much flavorings as you want, such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, sprinkles etc

Or you can measure with ounces:

• 4 oz sugar
• 8 oz margarine
• 12 oz flour

I highly suggest that you base the recipe on the weight/size of a stick of margarine wherever you live. In Israel they are 200 grams with 50 gram markings, if I'm not mistaken. 

When my kids, especially the boys, were little, I'm make the cookies very frequently and almost always had a tin or two of cookies. This son and his best friend loved them so much that he taught his friend's mother how to make them, and she still serves them. In their house the cookies are named after my son.  

Now, to be honest, I hadn't made those cookies in many, many years, and I don't even have a food scale anymore. I didn't even have most of the ingredients ready for use or in the house. The dark brown sugar was frozen solid and I had no oats to make that version which he had specifically requested. And I haven't bought margarine for many years. I bake my cakes and cook with oil.

So I told him that I'd make them next week. But right after that I realized that my husband had left the house before giving me cash which I needed, so I called him and asked him to wait at the bus stop and ran down the hill. That meant that I'd be passing the grocery store. So after getting the cash I zipped in and bought all the missing ingredients and then got to work on my son's early pre-birthday surprise.

Melt margarine in strong/heavy pot on low flame; turn off flame before fully melted. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, and then add margarine. 

chocolate chip

Since the dry ingredients, flour and sugar, were all in full bgs, I was able to estimate the percentage I had to pour into the bowl. I do have a pretty good "eye" for those things. The bags of sugar and flour here are a kilo, which is 1,000 grams, so 200 would be less than a quarter of the bag and 600 would be over half. 

It worked fine for me, though not everyone has my talent. 

oatmeal-  *substitute one third of the four with  regular
oats, not instant

The batter is spoon mixed, and if it's a bit too dry, you can always add a bit of oil and/or an egg. It (the cookies) keeps better without eggs.

When the batter is mixable, moister than a crumb topping, spread it on a baking pan lined with baking paper and pat down well.

Bake in a medium oven until it smells like "baked cookies" and the color has changed. If you've discovered after they are ready and cooled that they are still soft, then return them to the oven and bake another ten minutes.

Cut immediately after taking out of the oven when still hot. They will harden as they cool.

They were perfect!!!