The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they’ve regretted, the hard choices and amends they’ve had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman’s story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you’ll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women’s friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all.
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To win a free copy of “The Christmas Cookie Club”
Post a Christmas cookie recipe
Tastiest recipes will be chosen–five copies avilable
Books courtesy of:
Winners will be chosen on November 20, 2009
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Okay, so I don’t know if these classify as “Christmas” but they are the best damned cookies I have ever had in my entire life. And trust me, I’ve had my fair share of cookies. I would be perfectly happy receiving a batch of these as a gift this holiday season or any other time of year!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes about 15-20 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, paked
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In another large bowl, mix (or, if you have an electric mixer, beat) the peanut butter, sugars, butter, honey, egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients in two additions. Add chocolate.
3. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies puff and begin to brown. Make sure the cookies are still soft to the touch.
4. Let cookies cool for five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
Post a Christmas Cookie Recipe:
Pumpkin Raisin Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350* Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add in the egg and the vanilla and pumpkin. Combine the flour, soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. While cookies are baking, make up your glaze by combining all ingredients. As soon as cookies are out of the oven, brush with the glaze and remove from sheets to cool.
Thank you,
Katie Brewda
Mississauga, ON
Macaroons are one of my favourites cookies to eat at Christmas time…or anytime! Here is a simple recipe…careful, makes 5 dozen, so make sure you have lots of people to share with!!
Ingredients
* 5 large egg whites
* 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
* 1 1/3 cups sugar
* 4 cups long-shred unsweetened coconut (about 6 ounces), lightly toasted
* 3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, cooled, ground
* 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation
*
Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place egg whites in large bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until meringue is very thick (similar to marshmallow creme), about 5 minutes. Fold in coconut, then almonds. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
*
Bake macaroons until pale beige outside and dry-looking (insides will still be soft), about 25 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks; cool macaroons completely. Transfer macaroons to work surface; re-line pans with clean parchment.
*
Place chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir chocolate until smooth; remove from over water. Dip bottom of 1 macaroon into melted chocolate to depth of 1/4 inch. Place on prepared sheet, chocolate side down. Repeat dipping with remaining macaroons. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Let macaroons stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy!!
Jacklyn Pearce
Toronto, ON
CARAMEL-SURPRISE (ROLO) COOKIES
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
48 rolos chocolate-covered caramel candies
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(2) In a large mixing bowl, add Sugar, Brown Sugar, Margarine, Eggs and Vanilla.
(3) Mix together until well blended.
(4) Add Flour, Cocoa and Baking Soda and mix well.
(5) Refrigerate and chill dough for 30 minutes.
(6) Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 Rolo in the center of each dough ball.
(7) Form the dough ball around the majority of the rolo.
(8) Roll each dough ball in sugar.
(9) Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes.
(10) Let cool on pan for 1 minute then take off and place on cookie cooling rack.
Molasses Chewy Cookies!
My all time favorite (and easy) cookie recipe for the holidays!
Makes about 5 dozen so can easily be cut in half if you don’t need 60 cookies!
Ingredients
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted margarine, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.
Enjoy!
Chelsea
Thumprint Cookies -always a hit during the holidays
Easy and so Yummy!
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup jam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F place the rack in the center of oven.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the batter and beat just until combined. If the batter is too soft to roll into balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Place on a baking sheet spacing about 1 inch apart. Using your thumb make a indentation into the center of each cookie and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until cookies are set. Remove and place on wire rack to cool.
Here is an all time favourite in our family…and they of the savoury sort…fabulous with a glass of wine. Can be served as an appetizer or as a dessert…your choice.
Cheese Shortbread
1/2 lb. McLaren’s Imperial Cheese (the red container)
1/2 lb butter (as Julia would say…it is always better with butter!)
2 cups flour
2 tbsp light brown sugar
Mix ingedients together (I use a mizer) and then knead. Form into a roll. (I put the batter onto plastic wrap and make a couple of rolls…and then I put it in the fridge to chill…will make it easier to cut).
Slice thin and bake at 250 for 1 hour.
Very yummy!
WOW… This was no easy task choosing winners from a list of delicious cookies! I have to admit I did defer to a random draw –because I just couldn’t choose “the best”!
Here are the winners:
Heather
Vanessa
Jacklyn
Amanda
Chelsea
Enjoy the book!