Welcome
to the second issue of the 2003 season for the Christmas-Cookies.com newsletter.
Keep reading for exclusive recipes, baking tips, new cookbooks, and more! If you like this newsletter, forward it to your friends! View our past newsletters for more tips and recipes |
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| I N T H I S I S S U E |
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| A D V E R T I S E M E N T |
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| C O O K I E E X C H A N G E S : T I P S A N D R E C I P E S |
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Holiday Cookie Exchange by Chris Sadler - 1001Recipes2Send.com With the Christmas holidays coming up, many cooks will be looking at lots of baking and preparations for the parties and get-togethers not to mention the big day itself. How can you reduce the stress and still put out a variety of tasty treats for family and friends? Try a cookie exchange. The general idea of a cookie exchange is a group
of friends each bake a batch of cookies to be shared amongst the group.
Each member concentrates on and only has to purchase ingredients for one
recipe but still gets a variety of goodies to offer at their own home.
You need ground rules and everyone has different For some parties there is a strict rule about the cookies being homemade. At others the gathering is more important so if a member feels a time crunch at the last minute they can choose to buy something from the bakery. Store bought bagged cookies would be taboo but bakery, homemade-like would be okay. First, agree on a timeline. Make sure each member can make the commitment and ask that they each set aside baking time at least a few days before the scheduled exchange (that way they have time to bake and time to fix it if something goes wrong). Another reason you might want to bake the cookies early is they "cure" a bit. Fresh cookies don't really transport well and tend to crumble badly during the exchange. Ask your members to send you their recipes so you can make copies for the others and ensure that no two are making the same cookies (don't forget, variety is the key!). They don't all have to bake cookies either, bars and macaroons work really well too. It is a nice idea if they include a few lines about why they chose this recipe or any memories they have of making or eating these cookies. Sharing the details of how the recipe was once grandma's or how you set fire to the kitchen one time while baking them is half the fun of the party! Create a booklet of the recipes and memories for each member to keep. If you have a digital camera you could even take pics at the party of the cookies and the members to include in the booklets. Members should bake one dozen cookies for each member (assuming you have a smallish group of less than 10 people - you might want to say 1/2 dozen per member if there are lots of participants) and package them separately so the exchange is easier to make. With the new disposable containers on the market, separate packaging is easy. Even a simple paper plate (preferably with a Christmas design) would work. The party itself works well with finger foods like veggies and dip and buffet style food. If it is an evening do, a wine and cheese spread would be fun too. Make sure everyone knows that this is for participants only, no spouses or kids at the party. Looking for a good recipe to use for your cookie exchange? Try one of these: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies 1-3/4
cups Flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter
together; mix in flour, salt, rolled oats and coconut. Dissolve soda in
boiling water; add to mixture. Add vanilla and chocolate chips; stir to
blend. Roll dough into small balls and place on lightly greased cookie
sheet. Flatten each dough ball with fork which has been Looking for more? Find dozens of recipes at: -*-*-*-*-*-*
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| C O O K B O O K S P O T L I G H T |
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| E S S E N T I A L C H R I S T M A S B A K I N G S U P P L I E S | |||
100-piece
Cookie Cutter Set
$9.99 Buy |
KitchenAid
250-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer
$169.99 Buy |
Lustre
Dust
$5.00 Buy |
15-pc
Snowflake Cookie Cutter Set |
| Springerle
Molds $24.95 Buy |
Christmas
Sprinkle Assortment - Large
$10.00 Buy |
Non-Stick Gingerbread
House Mold
$29.95 Buy |
Silpat
Baking Mat & OXO Measuring Cup Set $19.95 Buy |
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L
O T S M O R E B A K I N G P
R O D U C T S !
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| E X C L U S I V E R E C I P E S |
Slice and Bake Chocolate Fruitcake Rounds makes about 60 cookies 1/2
cup butter, softened In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Set aside 1/3 of dough and place in another mixing bowl. In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate. Stir melted chocolate into 1/3 of dough. Stir candied fruit into remaining 2/3 dough and form into a 2" thick roll. Refrigerate about 2 hours. On a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of waxed paper, roll chocolate dough into an 1/8"-thick square. Brush lightly with beaten egg white. Place roll of white dough at one end of the chocolate dough and roll up so that the chocolate dough covers the white dough. Refrigerate the double roll about 2 hours. Pre-heat oven to 375*F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and slice into 1/4" slices with a sharp knife. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers at room temperature for about 2 weeks.
makes about 60 cookies 2
cups all-purpose flour In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until easy to handle. Pre-heat oven to 375 and grease 2 baking sheets. Shape dough into 1" balls. Roll in nuts and then in powdered sugar. Place 2" apart on prepared baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are cracked. Allow to cool 1 minute on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. For over 365 more Christmas recipes, visit www.Christmas-Cookies.com!
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| B A K I N G T I P S |
| Get a Head-Start on Your Holiday Baking: Freezing Cookies and Cookie Dough by Rachel Paxton - rachel@Organized-Mom.com If you're looking ahead to the holiday season and wondering how you're going to get all your baking done, consider freezing your cookie dough or fresh baked cookies ahead of time. When the holidays get closer you can get that last bit of shopping done or last present made instead of spending all your time in the kitchen. FREEZING COOKIE DOUGH Cookie dough will freeze well for 4 to 6 weeks. Rolls of dough should be sealed tightly in plastic wrap (chill in refrigerator first before freezing). Other kinds of dough should be stored in airtight containers. Drop cookies (unbaked) may be frozen on cookie sheets and transferred to freezer bags. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Don't try to freeze soft meringue-type cookie dough. Chocolate chip, brownies, peanut butter, and sugar cookie dough (or anything similar) freezes well. Let the dough defrost in the refrigerator (about 2-3 hours). Make sure to label the container with the date and type of cookie dough. FREEZING BAKED COOKIES Almost any baked cookie freezes well. Let cookies completely cool before freezing. Wrap cookies individually in plastic wrap then store them in a ziploc freezer bag or storage tin (coffee cans or holiday tins work great). You can also just layer the cookies between layers of waxed paper in the container, but the individually wrapped ones will store longer. Freeze frosted cookies uncovered first until they are firm. Then pack them in airtight container lined with plastic wrap or foil. Make sure to label the container with the date and type of cookies. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen up to 6-12 months (frosted, about 3 months). Frozen cookies thaw in about 10 minutes at room temperature (if you can wait that long). If cookies should be crisp when thawed, remove them from the container before thawing. Gingersnaps 1 c. sugar In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add molasses, stirring well. Refrigerate dough for an hour or two to chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a little sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Snickerdoodles 1 c. butter In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Refrigerate dough for an hour or two to chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Peanut Butter Crackles 1 3/4 c. flour Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and press chocolate kisses firmly into cookie. Rachel Paxton
is a freelance writer and mom helping other moms to organize their families
and their lives. For other organizing hints visit http://www.Organized-Mom.com. For more articles by Rachel Paxton and other great tips on baking, decorating, and storing cookies visit http://www.christmas-cookies.com/bakingtips/index.php
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| M O R E T H A N K S G I V I N G & C H R I S T M A S R E C I P E S |
Pumpkin Cookies |
Anginetti
Cookies from Italy Lemon Madeleines from France Mailanderli from Switzerland Sacher Torte Cookies from Austria |
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