Hermione is known for her kitchen disasters. Can Ron help her find a cookie she can make for the cookie exchange?

Song: Milk and Cookies by Clint Black

A/N:

The recipe that I based Nan's cookies on is my great-grandmother's recipe for Preacher Cookies. Grandmother called them preacher cookies because they were made from ingredients every woman had in her kitchen and could be made quickly if the preacher happened to drop in for a visit.

Preacher Cookies

½ milk

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Mix ingredients in heavy sauce pot and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Let mixture boil for 90 seconds. Remove from heat

Add 2 cups Quick Oats (Minute oats) and ½ cup peanut butter. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Spoon mixture onto wax paper (1 tablespoon per cookie) and let cool.

Hermione: How many types do I need to make?

Ginny: Let my brother make them

Daphne: 2 or 3

Luna: You are baking?

Hermione: I am picking recipes, Ron is baking

Luna: That sounds more like it

Daphne: What is he making?

Ginny: Cookies ... Only cookies

Hermione looked up from her tablet. The scene in her kitchen was the exact opposite of what people would expect. Ron was wandering around the kitchen in his "Yes, I bake. She Knows." apron.

She was sitting at the counter finding recipes.

"Are you sure about this, Mione?" Ron asked as he pulled ingredients from the cabinet. "I can make all the cookies. I don't mind."

"I want to do this." Hermione brought the tablet over to Ron and showed him the recipe she had found. "They don't even have to bake. Just mix everything in a pot on top of the stove."

"Let me see." Ron looked through the ingredients listed. "I think we have everything. Let me get this batch in the oven and I'll help you. My Nan used to make these for us."

Hermione joined Ron at the stove and looked over the list of ingredients. "Butter, milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, oats. How hard can this be?"

"I have seen George destroy this recipe." Ron chuckled as he started to assemble ingredients. "To the point where even Charlie would not eat them. Paying attention to timing is the thing."

"So where do we start?" Hermione asked as she set the tablet on the counter. "It would be nice to make something without destroying the kitchen."

"Measure first, then worry about the cooking," Ron pulled Hermione into his chest and kissed her forehead. "We'll use Nan's recipe. It will be just fine. Go set the timer for 90 seconds, but don't start it. I'll start measuring."

Hermione reached over to the microwave and set the timer for 90 seconds. "Why 90 seconds?" she asked as she placed a pot on the stove. "That seems like a strange amount of time for cooking something."

"Nan swore that the mixture had to boil for exactly 90 seconds to come out right." Ron chuckled at the memory. "Anything more and the sugar crystalizes wrong, anything less and the cookies never set and you have to eat them with a spoon. Unless you are George, then you have to scrape them off the ceiling and pray no one tries to eat them."

"So all I do is pour, stir, and watch the clock?" Hermione asked, staring at the bowls of ingredients Ron had set on the counter. "Why is there wax paper on the counter? Are you sure I can do this?"

"Yes, love," Ron sighed and stepped behind her. "You can so this and I will be right here to help you. We will have your cookies done before mine come out of the oven. "

"What goes in the pan first?" Hermione held her spoon over the tattered piece of paper Ron had laid out on the counter. "Butter, milk, sugar, cocoa powder. It says stir until boiling. Then what?"

Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and helped her stir the ingredients they had put in the pan. "We will worry about that when it happens. That's why we set the timer before we start cooking. Just keep stirring. YOu'll know when it is boiling."

Hermione let Ron wrap himself around her and talk her through making his Nan's easy cookies. She managed to keep the sugar from burning and was surprised at how quickly the cookies began the set up as they were dropped onto the wax paper. "This was not as bad as I expected. I think I could make these again. How did George mess them up?"

"Don't ask … please."

Ginny: Nan's Preacher Cookies?

Hermione: I made them

Daphne: Did they go in the oven?

Luna: I've had those before. Yum.

Hermione: Yes, they are Nan's cookies. No, they do not go in the oven

Gnny: What did my brother bake?

Daphne: Is your kitchen still standing?

Luna: Those are good cookies

Ginny: Save me a few

Hermione: I've got some for everyone. We made 2 batches

Daphne: I need to get my cookies done

Ginny: You still have time

Luna: Neville is helping frost cookies later

Hermione: Frosting cookies … sounds interesting

Daphne: Really?!

Ginny: Is that like having brownies?

Luna: That is not of your business

Ron looked around the disaster that used to be their kitchen. He had sent Hermione to bed a while ago, but he was not tired. It had been fun watching her make Nan's cookies and have them turn out right. One success in the kitchen would bring her back to try again. Ron walked to the sink and began to load dishes into the dishwasher. Baking cookies was fun, cleaning the kitchen was not. But, it had to be done. Hermione had bought some tins to put the cookies in for the exchange. They were going to load them up tomorrow. He had snuck a few pictures of her making cookies for the baby book and a few for himself. This holiday was turning out to be the best yet. It was time to finish straightening the kitchen so he could join Hermione.

Harry: A selfie? That's different

Ron: She agreed to it while we were baking

Theo: Is your kitchen still standing?

Neville: Not nice, Theo

Theo: Have you seen what she can do to a kitchen?

Herry: She is getting better

Ron: I did most of the baking

Harry: Thank you

Theo: And you said I was being mean

Neville: Most of the baking?

Ron: I found a cookie she can make

Harry: Congratulations

Theo: Sounds interesting

Neville: Are you bringing it to the exchange.

Ron: Yup. I'm not telling which one it is

Harry: Really not nice

Theo: How will I know which ones I can eat

Neville: I'm sure they are fine

Ron: I guess you'll just have to wait and see