There is something special about a fresh homemade cookie.
The aroma coming from the oven tells us that a sweet treat is on the way. There may not be much time before one or two go missing from the cooling rack.
A warm cookie and a cold glass of milk are a classic combination and now that I think of it, a hot cup of coffee and a cookie also go pretty well together.
That’s why the staff at the Summerland library are excited to present The Great Cookie Countdown.
For 14 days, beginning on Saturday Dec. 1, stop by the library for a free cup of coffee and sample a home baked cookie.
Local baking enthusiasts had the opportunity to open one of the doors in our countdown calendar to reveal a surprise cookbook.
They ventured home with the library book, then decided on their favourite cookie recipe to bake and bring to the library to share.
Part of the fun is not knowing which recipe the baker will use until the cookies arrive, fresh from their kitchen.
It is guaranteed to be a fun couple of weeks at the library, and of course the cookies are first come, first served.
As a sneak peek for all you cookie lovers, here are a few examples of the cookbooks that were hidden behind the doors. Good Housekeeping’s Christmas Cookies: 75 irresistible holiday treats has a recipe for Cranberry Shortbread that promises to be tender and buttery. The combination of red cranberries and green pistachios in this cookie would make the perfect colour combination for the holidays.
Bake Me, I’m Yours….Christmas by Lindy Smith has the cutest little Cookie Crackers made from gingerbread. This book also gives the recipe for sugar paste (rolled fondant) and piping gel, which are generally items you have to buy in a specialty store.
The Art of the Cookie by Shelly Kaldunski has a beautiful cover and the 40 recipes inside are accompanied by a large photo of the end product. These cookies seem like works of art, but are simple enough to recreate in your own kitchen. A few of the recipes are Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Clouds, Stained Glass Cookies and Jam Swirls, that you can fill with any flavour jam you want.
The Vancouver Sun test kitchen compiled a collection of published recipes from their newspaper, titled The Best Cookies and Bars and Christmas Baking by Ruth Phelan and Brenda Thompson. The recipe for Whaletown Cookies dates back to 1947 and contains coconut and quick cooking oats. They are almost identical to the Dad’s cookie, which is appropriately my own Dad’s favourite cookie.
Join us for a tea and recipe swap on Thursday, Dec. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to sample a cookie and check out a cookbook just in time for Christmas.
Caroline McKay is an Assistant Community Librarian at the Summerland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library.
To report a typo, email:
news@summerlandreview.com.
news@summerlandreview.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.