For our Troops in the Middle East. This month it's for a young lady who is stationed over there. I made Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coconut Chews. The Chocolate Chip Cookies are good but I would not say they are stupendous, but the Coconut Chews! Oh, yum, yum, yum! Definitely will make again. I always pack two 10-inch square cake boxes, which fit neatly into the APO Box (not sure what the acronym is for but it's military) - needless to say I had a few taste tests but fortunately had plenty left over to fill the package to capacity. (I should hope so! - I reckon about 120-130 cookies are needed to fill the two cake boxes.)
I love doing the Baking Gals cookie making for our Troops; it's a monthly mailing and each time I send my package to a different soldier. It's also fun to surf through the cookie sites and get recipes for real, down home, family type cookies and bars - the kind of goodies that will remind our soldiers of home.
This time I used two recipes that use Crisco instead of butter - apparently it keeps the shape of the cookie better and they last longer, which is a plus as it gets very hot in Iraq.
The Chocolate Chip Cookies are from Recipezaar (another favorite site for me):
Ingredients
2/3 cup solid shortening (no substitutes just use plain white shortening)
2/3 cup margarine (not butter)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (chopped optional)
Method
Cream together shortening, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
stir in remaining ingredients.
drop by teaspoon full onto ungreased cookie sheet.
bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until cookie is lightly brown on top and darker brown on edges.
The Coconut Chews are from Recipe Goldmine.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or Crisco
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Press evenly in 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients; spread over hot baked layer. Bake for 20 minutes longer. Slice into squares when cooled.
My package will be mailed tomorrow AM - it takes about a week to get there.
