Chattman - Cookie Swap!

By Lauren Chattman

Workman Publishing, New York

For my daughters and their many cookie-loving friends at Sag Harbor Elementary School and Pierson Middle School

Copyright 2010 by Lauren Chattman

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
eISBN 978-0-7611-6399-2

Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or book excerpts also can be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below, or send an e-mail to specialmarkets@workman.com.

Cover and interior design by Rae Ann Spitzenberger
All original photography of baked goods by Ben Fink
Food stylists: Cynthia Garcia-Vegas and Jose Martin Vegas
Prop stylist: Sara Abalan
Photo director: Anne Kerman
Author photograph on page viii by Eve Bishop
Author photograph on back cover by Jane Gill
All other photography from Fotolia

Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381

www.workman.com

INTRODUCTION
The Best Cookies Ever

CHAPTER 1
READY, SET SWAP!
Cookie Exchange 101

Everything you need to know to get your swap on, from planning and inviting to post-party recipe sharing.

Plus

CHAPTER 2
SWAPPERS DELIGHT
The Cookie Bakers Bag of Tricks

So youre ready to get bakingnow gather your gear. Find tips on ingredients and equipment, and discover the genius of parchment paper.

Plus

CHAPTER 3
DROP EVERYTHING
Delectable Drop Cookies

All your favorites with a cookie swap twist, including Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Double Peanut Butter Cups, and the perfect chocolate chip cookieswith four unique variations (Hazelnut Espresso Chip Cookies, anyone?).

Plus

CHAPTER 4
RAISE THE BAR
Superior Brownies, Blondies, and Bars

The beloved bar cookie gets all gussied up. Impress your fellow swappers with decidedly decadent (and adorable) Ganache-Glazed Brownie Bites, sophisticated Cherry-Almond Shortbread Bars, spectacularly rich ButterScotch Blondies, and more.

Plus

CHAPTER 5
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Flaky Pastry Cookies

Who says cookies have to be round? Expand your horizons with buttery, tender delights like Pistachio Sacristans, Cardamom Palmiers, and Flaky Pastry Pinwheels.

Plus

CHAPTER 6
REFRIGERATOR MADNESS
Insanely Good Icebox Cookies

Think inside the boxthe icebox, that isfor scrumptious, swap-perfect cookies you can prep in advance, including Chocolate-Pistachio Spiral Cookies, Biscochito Icebox Cookies, and Gingery Chocolate-Orange Slice and Bakes.

Plus

CHAPTER 7
DOUBLE HAPPINESS
Luscious Sandwich Cookies

Dunkable, munchable, smile-inducing treats, from citrusy Jam-Filled Lemon Sandwich Cookies to rich Chocolate-Mint Sandwich Cookies (with a hidden surprise inside!).

Plus

CHAPTER 8
PLAY DOUGH
Shaped and Cut Cookies

Finally, a real excuse to play with your food! Get creative with charming Gingerbread Men, playful Chocolate Shortbread Dominoes, melt-in-your-mouth Maple-Walnut Wedding Cakes, and more.

Plus

CHAPTER 9
SLAM DUNK
Biscotti and Mandelbrot

Biscotti to fill every cookie jar and accompany every cup of coffee, including Blueberry-Almond Biscotti, Fig and Fennel Biscotti, and Chocolate-Walnut Mandelbrot.

Plus

CHAPTER 10
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Cookies for Special Diets

Theres a dessert to suit every diet. Weaning yourself off wheat? Bake Wheat-Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter. Trying to cut out some sugar? Have a bite of a banana-rich Sugar-Free Monkey Cookie.

Plus

CHAPTER 11
SNACK ATTACK
Savory Cookies

Savory bites like Cayenne-Dusted Cheddar Coins, Black Pepper and Parmesan Animal Crackers, and Savory Rosemary Pecan Sandies add some swank and sophistication to the swap table.

Plus

CHAPTER 12
EASY PEASY
Shortcut Cookies

Put away your oven mittsyou wont need em here. Take it easy with gooey, luscious, almost homemade treats like Chocolate-Toffee Shortbread Fingers, No-Bake Chocolate Bourbon Bites, and Cheaters Petits Fours.

Plus

CHAPTER 13
BEYOND MILK
Perfect Swap Sips

When the crowds thirsty for more than milk, youll have what to serve them: drinks like Old-Fashioned Lemonade, Mulled Cider, Mini Strawberry Milk Shakes, and more.

Plus

Last summer, my older daughter came home from sleepaway camp with a story that reminded me of my own days in the cabins of Camp Point CounterPoint. It wasnt about building a bonfire or short-sheeting a bedit involved a care package, something my bunk mates and I often received from our moms and grandmas, who couldnt stand the idea of us surviving on the jar of saltines that our rather austere dining hall director kept on a counter for between-meal snacks. In my daughters case, the parcel came from her bunk mates grandmother, and contained luscious bar cookies called Seven Layers of Heaven. The grandmother had urged the girl to share the cookies with her friends, and the group reached a near-frenzy as they dove into the treats during a rest period party. As my daughter related the story, she became rapturous all over again: So good! The best cookies ever! Im going to get the recipe!

I didnt take it personally, even though my daughter was practically ) several times. As a dedicated cookie swapper, professionally trained pastry chef, and cookbook author, Im constantly developing new cookie recipes. (Theres no such thing as a dessert-free day in my kitchen!) But I understood my daughters excitement for those summer camp treats: All sweets especially cookiestaste better when theyre shared with friends.

Yours truly, preparing to freeze a batch of cookies for a neighbors swap.

Theres no better way to enjoy the cookie-friend combo than with a cookie swap. Its a party that brings people together, to trade stories, nibbles, and recipesand to let their hair down a little. But more important, its a party that celebrates this most perfectly portable of desserts. What better vehicle for sugar, butter, eggs, flour? A few basic ingredients lend themselves to so many possible iterationsa world of flavors and texturesall small enough to be held in the hand, a portable hug. Folks are passionate about their cookies and the recipes that are handed from parent to child, from friend to friend. So its no wonder that when people gather to exchange their most beloved cookies, they often gush, like my daughter did, that theyve just tasted the new best cookie ever.