From the cookie files....

I'm not exactly sure how I learned this little tidbit...this little gem of information that has helped me out of a jam more than once. I'm sure it started as a "why not?", "for a good cause" thought that rapidly became a mantra. Are you ready? Here it is: if you ever have the opportunity to buy a church cookbook...just do it! They are always inexpensive and always chock full of tried and true family recipes. AND, if you're lucky, you'll find one or two "secret" family recipes some obscure cousin inadvertently included in the pile. I just found out my church is putting together a cook book for release in the fall....I can't wait!!!

Here's the book that started my obsession:

And the 'makes a TON' recipe I come back to over and over: (modified a touch because I am a control freak; and the cookies freeze beautifully...)

Cranberry Chewbilees

1/4 plus 1/3 cup unsalted butter (softened but still firm)
6 oz. shortening
1.5 cup granulated sugar
1.5 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4.5 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. dried cranberries (I KNEW there was a reason costco carried the jumbo bag of craisins!)
2 cups toasted pecan pieces (chop coarsley with a knife)
3 cups white chocolate chips

Cream together sugars and butter/shortening until a fluffy paste forms. Add the eggs and vanilla. (I always crack my eggs in a seperate bowl first...no worries about shell fragments.) In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Add dry mixture to creamed mixture slowly until just combined. With your mixer on low, add in craisins, pecans and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes.
(unbelievably, I don't have a pictures of these beauties. I'm planning on making a batch tomorrow, so stay tuned!)

Peace!
:) hp