Welcome to the very first issue of the Cookie Recipe Club newsletter.

Since we're all new to the club and this is the first issue there are no reader-contributed recipes. In fact I've just put the "submit recipe form" up today.

If you've got the time and the inclination why don't you go there now and submit something.

Submit A Recipe

Anything you want to post is ok. It doesn't even have to be a recipe it can be a recipe request. Even a personal message for me since I don't put my e-mail address on the website.

If you do submit a recipe a little chitty-chat about it would be nice. If it's your favorite then why is it your favorite, etc...

Cookie Texture

I've been baking cookies for some time now and I feel like I understand all the variables that can affect the outcome of the finished product.

This is a picture of some cookies I baked yesterday. You can see the circles appear ok but the hearts are toast. They're as hard as a rock.

Actually the circles are a little overdone.

I used the sugar cookie recipe on the website and I was shooting for a soft cookie and they're a little crispier than I wanted.

So what did I do wrong? I simply did not pay close enough attention while the cookies were baking. I over baked 'em.

Of all the variables that can affect cookie texture over baking is probably number one.

I wanted to make happy faces with the circles so I wanted a big fat cookie. Rather than rolling out to 1/8" like the recipe called for I was closer to 3/8"

I knew since my dough was a lot thicker that it would take longer to bake and I took them out at 18 minutes rather than the 6 to 8 minutes the recipe called for. They were pretty close.

The hearts are really small but close to 1/4 inch thick so I checked them at 8 minutes per the recipe and I thought they weren't like I wanted so I left them 1 minute more.

Just that one minute made toast instead of cookies. I should have taken them out at 8 minutes I guess.

At least I learned a lesson. In the future if I'm going to alter a cookie recipe I need to pay really close attention to what I'm doing.

I've recorded this experience on my copy of the recipe. The next time I want a big, fat, soft sugar cookie I should have no problems. Maybe!

Cookie Recipes

Since there aren't any reader recipes yet I'm posting a couple that I haven't tried but I'm intrigued by.

My friend Barb in Calgary and I had a cookie conversation recently. She asked if I had ever heard of carrots in cookies!

Well I hadn't so she sent me a recipe for Carrot/Oatmeal cookies that she'd found. I was going to post it here but now I can't find where I put the doggone thing.

She's working nights and she's probably sleeping so I won't bother her until her off days. Maybe I'll have it by the next newsletter.

Instead here are a couple others I did find that have carrots. Notice the baking time of the Carrot Orange cookies. I think that would produce toast don't you?

Carrot Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup carrots -- cooked and mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 tsp salt

Combine ingredients; drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Carrot Cookie Icing

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
powdered sugar

Combine. Add enough powdered sugar to make of spreading consistency. Spread on warm baked cookies.

Makes about 60 cookies.

Carrot Orange Cookies

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 c. margarine
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. grated raw carrots
1/2 c. Grape-Nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease several cookie sheets. Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Beat in flour, and then beat in grated carrots and the Grape-Nuts, beating just until they are combined. Drop by tablespoons, 2-inches apart, on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies to wire rack. Makes 3 dozen.

If you try one of them let me know how they come out. Just use the "Submit A Recipe" form on the website.

Submit A Recipe

Thanks and have a great day!
Jim