I posted a recipe recently on the Mookie, it was inspiration for the naming of the GSC X Crystal Ship, MENDO MOOKIE
LEGGET'S PEG HOUSE AND MOOKIE RECIPE
Driving North on Highway 101 in search of a spot to connect with one of California’s most beautiful redwood forests also places you on the direct path to The Peg House in Mendocino County. The casual sandwich and salad outpost in Leggett, California has been owned by Diana Ballard-Doll and Gary Ballard for the past eight years. The Peg House, loved for its quirky interior, diverse menu and colorful service, turns up the heat a notch during summer months when live bands perform in its redwood patio and fresh oysters are hand delivered from the coast, weekly.
Directly across the street from The Peg House is the entrance to the Standish Hickey State Recreation Area. Thanks to a group of energized locals, the park was reopened last July after a March closure due to state budget cuts. “Team Standish” worked with the Mendocino Area Parks Association (MAPA) to raise money and come up with a maintenance plan to keep the park open. “It was, and continues to be, important to us that this incredible park was available to us as citizens,” says Ballard. “We had the opportunity to come together as the residents of Leggett and we wanted to be sure that the ideals of public access were honored and respected.” Diana Ballard-Doll, chef and chief bottle washer at The Peg House, adds, “People have been coming to visit Standish Hickey for nearly 100 years. We have met families who bring five generations along to visit the park. They sit out on the patio together, enjoying the music and the view. And, the park has the best swimming hole, right on a black sand beach.” Team Standish and MAPA are working to open another campground within the park. For information on donating to their cause, visit. Standish Hickey has over ten miles of hiking trails through old-growth redwoods that intersect the wild and scenic Eel River. One of the few virgin redwood stands remaining can be found on the Grove Trail. Standish Hickey is located three hours north of San Francisco on Highway 101, an easy drive fromnearby accommodations.
MOOKIES (IS IT A MUFFIN? IS IT A COOKIE?)
1 c softened margarine
1.5 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ t baking powder
½ cup coconut
½ c raisins
Mix butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat well. Separately, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder. Stir into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in coconut and raisins.
Pack into a 4 oz ice cream coop and scrape dough level with the rim. Drop onto parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350. Until edges are golden brown. Makes 31 mookies.