For today’s cookie week post, let’s dive into three cookbooks from my collection hat feature cookies:
- The Food Writer’s Favorites Cookies edition,
- The Daily Cookie by Anna Ginsberg, and
- Company’s Coming: Gifts from the Kitchen by Jean Pare.
Company’s Coming: Gifts from the Kitchen
Company’s Coming: Gifts from the Kitchen is 184 pages of food-related items that make great gifts. There are appetizers, candy, condiments, desserts, dinners, dry mixes, snacks, and even liqueurs and beverages. There’s also a chapter on gifts for the home featuring bird feeders, plus dog and cat snacks. The book also has crafty projects for you to lovingly make use for your food.
For the baked goods, some are those kind of “recipe in a jar” gifts, while others you actually bake and take. The cookies and bars section includes crowd-pleasing cookie pizza, chip choc banana cookies, double chocolate cookies, colored swirls, two-layer brownies, mocha brownies, pineapple brownies, rainbow squares, chewy slice, cracker crunch, Nanaimo bars, chocolate caramel squares, nutty biscotti, and choco cran biscotti.
Two-Layer Brownies
Two-Layer Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 15 1/2 ounce packages brownie mix
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 8 ounces light cream cheese softened
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
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Combine brownie mixes, cooking oil, 4 eggs, and flour in medium bowl. Mix well.
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Turn out into greased 9x13 pan.
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Beat cream cheese and confectioner's sugar together in medium bowl until smooth.
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Beat in remaining 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour over brownie mixture.
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Bake in 350 oven for about 35 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.
Food Writers Favorites: Cookies
Published in 1991 by Dial Publishing for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this slim cookbook has a huge collection of cookies from food writers and editors around the country. The fun thing is that each recipe has a brief introduction to the recipe. And this recipe, Aggression Cookies, is no exception. Food Writer Barbara Mihalevich Arciero from The Times in Shreveport, Louisiana explained:
When I was a student at the University of Missouri, I spent a semester working in a preschool. That’s where I discovered Aggression Cookies, a not-so-unique cookie with a unique name. These cookies, I discovered, offer a socially acceptable way for youngsters to let off steam and to make a tasty snack at the same time. The dough is stiff, so children can mash, knead, squeeze, and pound it to their hearts’ content without inflicting any damage. Children don’t need to know the name of these cookies; just tell them you’ve got a special cookie for them to make. \
I don’t know about you, but sometimes the holidays drive me mad. These cookies might be just the trick to alleviate the winter break boredom – or keep the kids busy for a couple of hours.
Aggression Cookies
Aggression Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 3 cups old-fashioned quick-cookie rolled oats uncooked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
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Combine brown sugar, butter, oats, baking soda, and flour in a large mixing bowl.
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Mash, knead, squeeze, and pound ingredients to make a dough.
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Form into small balls. Put balls on ungreased baking sheets.
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Grease the bottom of a small glass or jar; dip into granulated sugar and use to flatten balls.
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Bake in preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes or until done. Transfer to racks to cool.
The Daily Cookie
I won this cookbook a few years ago, and am loathe to admit I’ve never made a single recipe. I mean, I love cookies, and these are mostly small batches. With a cookie suitable for every single day of the year, you’d think I’d gotten around to making one or two, but nope, not a single cookie.
This cookbook is from Anna Ginsburg who has been baking cookies at Cookie Madness for years: there are literally hundreds of cookie recipes and other sweet treats. Just look at her holiday list!
This recipe for Easy Baklava Cups sounds simple and satisfying. And while not a traditional cookie, they are just right size for a pop-in-your mouth treat.
Easy Baklava Cups
Ingredients
For the shells
- 2 boxes frozen mini phyllo pastry shells
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans toasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 and place a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
Make the filled shells
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Arrange the phyllo shells on the tray, spacing evenly, and brush them generously, inside and out, with the melted butter.
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Mix together the nuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and divide equally among the shells.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the shells are golden brown.
Make the syrup
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Bring the sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Spoon a teaspoon of the sugar mixture over each baked shell. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Be sure to jump over to the McCall’s Cookie Collection giveaway and register to win the collection. You’ve got until Friday!
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