12 Days of Cookies, 2016 - Day 10: Spiced Almond Cookies

Today, Connie Jodrey, Manager of the Bridgetown Library, will be handing out, Spiced Almond Cookies: from Taste of Home Cookies and More Magazine, December 2011. Drop in for a sample and to also wish Connie ‘all the best’ as she heads off into retirement. BEST WISHES CONNIE!!

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup slivered almonds

In a bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture along with nuts.  Shape into three 9-inch by 1 1/2 inch rolls; wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days for spices to blend.
Unwrap and cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until set.  Remove to wire racks.  (Makes 7 dozen).

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12 Days of Cookies, 2016 - Day 9: Caramel Cluster Bark

Made by Jaki Fraser, Manager of the Lawrencetown library, from Saltscapes Magazine Nov/Dec 2016 pg.25

 

Ingredients:

18 Graham Crackers

1/2 cup (125 ml) butter

1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar

1 cup (250 ml) condensed milk

1 bag (250 g) mini marshmallows

12 (approx.) chocolate covered peanut caramel clusters

NOTE: The recipe called for Ganong Peanut Clusters, which I couldn’t find, so I substituted with OMG Graham Clusters with peanuts and toffee bits... easy to find.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, butter the foil and place the graham crackers evenly on the sheet.

In a medium sized heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter, add sugar, condensed milk and marshmallows and slowly melt, stirring continually.  Pour the mixture evenly over the graham crackers and sprinkle chopped peanut clusters on top.  Bake in a pre-heated 400 F oven for 5 – 6 minutes.  With a fork spread cluster mix around then allow to cool 10 minutes.  Refrigerate additional 30 min.  Break candy into chunks and store in covered airtight container.

Jaki says, “Although this isn’t really a cookie... I wanted to try as they seemed really yummy.... Come in on the 15^th and see what you think !”

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12 Days of Cookies, 2016 - Day 7: Oatmeal Bears

Made by Sue Mosher, Bookmobile, from Almost Too Cute to Eat, one of the great children’s cookbooks in our collection. Come visit the Bookmobile today in Brooklyn and Summerville for a sample.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats

mini M&Ms (Sue used mini chocolate chips)

plain M&Ms (Sue used regular chocolate chips)

icing, sprinkles, fruit roll-ups, or liquorice laces, as desired

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg; stir in vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to butter mixture, blending until incorporated. Stir in oats until blended.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. For each bear, roll cookie dough into one 1 ¼” ball for head and three ½” balls for ears and snout. Place head on prepared cookie sheet; flatten slightly. Position snout ball on lower half of head. Set ears against top of head. Flatten ears and snout slightly. If using chocolate chips, press mini chocolate chips above snout, for eyes, and larger chocolate chip into snout for nose. Leave about and inch and a half between the cookies as they spread quite a bit when baking. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. If using M&Ms, immediately add mini M&Ms for eyes and plain M&Ms for nose, pressing gently to secure. Cool on cookie sheets. Use icing, sprinkles, fruit roll-ups, or liquorice laces for other decorations, as desired. (Sue cut out bows from fruit roll-ups and pressed them in place while the cookies were still warm.)

Makes approximately 18 cookies.

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12 Days of Cookies, 2016 - Day 5: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Shortbread

Middleton branch manager Sue Aldred made these yummy shortbread cookies from a recipe found in the December 2014 issue of All-Recipes magazine. Drop in to the Rosa M. Harvey Middleton and Area Library today for some warm smiles and a cookie.

Ingredients:

1 lb. salted butter

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 cups white flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla 

Whip butter until fluffy. Stir in icing sugar, cornstarch, salt, and flour. Beat on low for one minute. Add vanilla and beat on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonsful 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

I find that I have better results if I bake them for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. (The recipes calls for baking for a shorter time at 375 but this temperature is too hot.)

Ice with almond icing and decorate with sprinkles or chopped cherries.                  

These freeze very well.                                  

Yield: 4 dozen small cookies.

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12 Days of Cookies, 2016 - Day 3: Snickerdoodles

Drop in to the Hantsport branch today and sample an old favourite that will melt in your mouth.  The perfect cookie to pair with a glass of milk for Old Saint Nick on Christmas Eve. Baked just for you by Lois Burgess, from Company's Coming: Most Loved Cookies by Jean Pare.

 Ingredients:

*1 cup hard margarine (or butter), softened

*1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

*2 large eggs

*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*2 tsp. cream of tartar

*1 tsp. baking soda

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*2 tbsp. granulated sugar

*2 tsp. ground cinnamon

 Directions:

1.  Cream margarine and first amount of sugar in large bowl.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

2.  Combine next 4 ingredients in medium bowl.  Add to margarine mixture in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition until no dry flour remains.  Roll into 1 inch balls.

3.  Combine 2^nd amount of sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  Roll each ball in cinnamon mixture until coated.  Arrange about 3inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden.

4.  Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Tips:

1.  Refrigerate for an hour (or overnight) before baking, as the dough is very soft.

3.  Make sure the balls are 3 inches apart and not 2 inches, as in the original recipe.  They will spread!

2.  Do not overbake.  I lowered the temperature in the original recipe from 375 to 350.  These cookies will not look like they are done at the end of 8-10 minutes.  They will be very soft but will harden as they cool.

Don't forget -- you can Enter to win a Cookie Gift Bag!!

Day 11, 2015; COCONUT BARS

Today’s delights were made by Dorothy McDonald of the Annapolis Royal Branch.

The recipe I selected this year is from "The Gourmet Cookie Book: the single best recipes from each year, 1941-2009"
Never, ever having considered myself a gourmet cook, I chose the book anyway, curious to see what cookies made the cut. This recipe was created in response to a reader's appeal for "cookies made with coconut and sprinkled with powdered sugar that have cake-like bottoms and chewy tops." Imagine...it was so long ago she couldn't just Google it!! The recipe list from the issue where this cookie is found also includes Young Partridge with Grapes, Poached Marrow, Couscous and Goose liver Pies, so this 'no fuss' cookie must be good to have been included with such gourmet-sounding fare!

The reasons I chose this recipe are:
1) it was the cookie selected as the best in the year I was born
2) I like coconut, and
3) they are like me...flaky, soft and nutty :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody!!
Coconut Bars Makes 2 dozen bars

Cream 1/2 cup softened butter. Add gradually 1/2 cup brown sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup sifted flour and spread in the bottom of an 8-in square pan. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes.
Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup light brown sugar until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup shredded coconut tossed with 2 Tbsp. flour and a pinch of salt. Spread this batter over the baked crust and continue to bake 20 min. longer. Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into squares or bars.
The recipe suggested buttering the pan and lining it with 2 criss-crossed sheets of aluminum foil which are then buttered as well, but I didn't do this, just buttered the pan. I will use either the foil or parchment paper the next time as it would make them easier to cut.

THEY ARE TASTY!!

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