By Request

By Betty Shimabukuro

Wednesday, December 16, 1998

Wilton Enterprises
Christmas cookies are an elegant
offering during the holidays.

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Cookie swap
enlivens holidays

Here's an idea for a holiday party that has "family tradition" written all over it. Throw a cookie swap.

Have each family bring 2 to 3 dozen cookies, any variety as long as they're homemade. They should also bring enough copies of their recipe to share with all the other invited families.

On party day, give everyone a container and let them fill up on their choice of cookies. Nice party favor, plus everyone gets to compliment everyone else on their baking skills so everybody feels good.

If you're ambitious, you can make up a batch of gingerbread or sugar cookie dough and let the kids create their own cookies on the spot. This provides aromatherapy. What is more healing or more promoting of the holiday spirit than the scent of baking cookies?

Some recipe ideas follow.

Happy holidays especially to Richey Kobayashi, graduate of Kapaa High School on Kauai, who is nostalgic for the cookies he used to get in the cafeteria. He says he used to bum extras off cafeteria workers. "I miss those old cookies."

This recipe comes from Kawananakoa Middle School's cafeteria, which has a reputation within the Department of Education for excellent baked goods. The recipe is nothing special. The key, says Janice Low, DOE food service coordinator, is to cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

The results are flakier than the cookies I remember from Nui Valley Intermediate, but the taste is pretty close.

Merry Christmas, Richey. Take this to your cookie swap.

Shortbread

2/3 cup butter
6 tablespoon sugar
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour and vanilla just to combine; do not over mix. Batter will be crumbly. Press batter into a 9-by-9-inch pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Makes 12 cookies.

Coconut Macaroons

"The Silver Palate Cookbook," by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

1/3 cup unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, coconut and salt. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Stir well to make a thick batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto well-greased cookie sheets, allowing one inch between cookies. Bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown. Remove from pan at once and cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen.

Peanut Butter Cup Drops

Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 1997

3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 8-ounce package bite-size, chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, quartered (about 30)

Beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in peanut butter. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and baking soda; beat until combined.

Beat in egg. Beat in as much flour as you can.

Stir in any remaining flour. Gently stir in chopped peanut butter cups. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets or roll into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly with your fingers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.

Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to wire racks. Makes 6 dozen.

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.