Brandy Snaps

First of all, look at the picture on the left and answer me this: What's missing from the ingredients?  That's right, BRANDY! 

That was Disappointment #1 for me with this recipe. 

(The editors assured me the brandy didn't add much flavor and it's cheaper to make virgin Brandy Snaps. But I would have liked a good reason to buy some, that's all I'm saying.)

Disappointment #2 would be the way they looked compared to the description and photos in the book. "Ultrathin, these cookies melt in the mouth..." The book shows light nearly passing through these delicacies, and you could practically hear the "snap" when you turned the page. 

Disappointment #3? The taste. The flavor was in-your-face strong and I expected something far more delicate.

My Brandy Snaps were thick when they should have been thin. Chewy when they should have been snappy. And I didn't have a clue how to roll them. The tips offered by the editors were sparse, to say the least. 

I found two good write-ups online only AFTER I'd made mine. It was reassuring to learn that someone else thought the recommended baking time was too brief. Mine didn't spread all melty-like when they were in the oven, they just kind of puddled. Maybe mine had to much flour? Maybe the batter cooled too much before going in the oven? Who knows. I'm not sure I care. 

The instructions said to roll them over a dowel immediately after removing them from the oven. I burned my fingers with every single batch, even after I decided to let them cool a few minutes before handling because they are 99% sugar and do you have ANY idea how much heat sugar retains? A LOT, let's just leave it at that. 

They looked so yummy in the book and were so far from what I expected. I might do a little research and try again because I'm stubborn like that. Here's what they looked like at the end of it all: 

Better luck next time.