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| A Little Sussy |
No SAD Faces...I know the days are flying but come on Grab the Oven Mitts and Let's Swap!
Each year around this time I reach for one of my most dog eared cookbooks. It is covered in spatters of batter, some of the pages have confectioner's sugar dust and flour prints, a few even have a smear of chocolate...I have marked the pages with pieces of paper towel so I can find my recipes and clean up! I have owned The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook
forever and I would never part with it.
forever and I would never part with it.
The story of the Wellesley Cookie Exchange is classic...Mary Bevilacqua saw an article in Family Circle magazine about friends who got together to swap cookies each year. Mary got a group of her friends to do the same and now almost 40 years later, and countless crumbs devoured, the Wellesley Cookie Exchange is still baking on.
Over brunch or tea or...40-50 guests bring a few dozen cookies each and Mary's house fills with trays and trays and boxes and tins... Stories are shared, recipes swapped and friendships grow and rekindle as everyone leaves with a wonderful assortment to serve and give that season.
It is a wonderful tradition that continues on and Mary's daughters, Kristen Weiss and Ann Flanigan have kept the tradition going and have published a Favorites collection which includes some of the all time "Must Bakes" of their Mom's exchange along with some new favorites from their own cookie groups.
The original The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook is out of print but you can find copies on Amazon and Ebay...you have to own both!
is out of print but you can find copies on Amazon and Ebay...you have to own both!Each cookie recipe, and its baker, has a story. Mary's recipe box is legendary with almost 40 years of Cookie Exchange ideas-rolled cookies, bar cookies, icebox favorites, tea breads, cut cookies, good old fashioned sugar cookies, butter cookies, filled cookies, and of course Gingerbread People!
I love how Mary would lock cookies in the trunk of her car before the party to ensue they would be "safe" from harm or hungry cookie thieves.
One of the All Stars of the Exchange are Lemon Meltaways!!
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar
In the bowl of a standing or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and extracts. Add flour and salt and beat well. Stir in coconut.
Cut dough in half and place each half on a sheet of waxed paper. Form each half into an 8-inch log. Wrap each log in waxed paper and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife, and arrange 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until pale golden.
Transfer cookies to racks and sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar. Let cool and dust lightly with more confectioners sugar.
I have so many favorite recipes from the book but probably the one that I return to again and again is one I renamed Chocolate Snowballs or Secret Kisses-this one is a huge hit in every cookie basket I give...Take your favorite basic cookie dough recipe, roll a good tablespoon of dough around a Hershey's Kiss then roll in chopped nuts or coconut if you like and dust with confectioner's sugar...bake until firm at about 350-375. Let cool then dust again with confectioner's sugar.
Other great cookie resources include the fabulous Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours, Ina Garten of course does everything with style and Sarabeth Levine's Bakery: from My Hands to Yours
Plan your own Cookie Swap-and remember to invite all the good bakers!! you have always wanted to steal recipes from... have plenty of tins, wrap and boxes on hand...give each guest a cute package of recipe cards and be sure to remind the guests to come with copies of their recipes to share. In one afternoon you will have a freezer filled with cookies! By the way it is a well known fact that a broken foot or arm of a Gingerbread Person has NO Calories! Happy Icing
