During the holidays over the years, friends and coworkers and I have held Cookie Swaps. Great fun, very tasty and what a wonderful opportunity to share with family and friends! It starts with finding a group of people interested in baking cookies. You make a list of all those involved. It works best if you have at least six people. Each member of your group bakes a dozen or 1/2 dozen for each. You pick your favorite or most popular cookie and bake enough to divide up evenly among your group. Pick a day to swap-and for every container of cookies you bring-you get back from the others the same. How much more fun could you have-bake several dozen cookies, all one kind and bring home several dozen cookies in all different flavors. You will need to set rules-some only truly feel rolled cookies count-some love a drop cookie and many really enjoy a classic no bake. I really have no preference. I just love cookies. Here are a couple of my favorites. Let me know if you decide to try a cookie swap. I have discovered several new favorites every time we have one!
1 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup melted shortening
1 egg
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 3/ 4 cup flour
1 1/ 2 teaspoons cream tartar (can use bakewell cream)
1 1/ 2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/ 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/ 2 teaspoon cloves
3/ 4 teaspoon salt
2/ 3 cup boiling water
Directions: Mix sugar and melted shortening (use a mixture of butter and lard for the shortening to capture the old-fashioned flavor) Stir in molasses and vanilla. Beat in egg. Mix and sift together flour, cream of tartar, salt and spices; set aside. Dissolve soda in boiling water; add to molasses mixture; stir to mix. Add sifted dry ingredients all at once. Mix well to make a smooth dough. Chill for a couple of hours (overnight is better). On a floured board roll dough to 1/ 4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch cutter. If candies or raisins are used for decorating the cookies, add before baking. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets, leaving 2 1/ 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch baking carefully-molasses cookies burn easily.
1 cup shortening
(again, use a mixture of butter and lard for the old-fashioned flavor)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/ 2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sour cream
Directions: Cream shortening with nutmeg, salt and vanilla; beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix and sift together flour, soda and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Chill dough thoroughly. Roll dough to 1/ 4 inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place cookies on lightly greased cookie sheet about three inches apart. Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar and bake in a 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. This is a high temperature but it makes a soft cookie.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you with any suggestions or recipes you like. I can be reached at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, PO Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730
See you next week! Susie Q.
