Holiday Cookies

This week really demonstrates the old saying that it is a small world. I received a couple of interesting assignments from The Yahoo Network requesting Superbowl recipes, I thought this was a great assignment, but I did not have anything to offer. Then came the Sunday newspaper. I read a fascinating article in the Sunday Conversation Column of the newspaper. It was about a local girl from Wilkes-Barre who won a cookie baking contest. Believe it or not, she won the contest at Price Chopper Supermarkets where I work. So I thought, let me submit the recipe on the Yahoo Network and ask people to try the cookies for the Superbowl and see what they think. Now, that is a small world!

The Contest

Jennifer Gill of Wilkes-Barre won the grand prize in Price Chopper's Holiday Cookie Bake-off . She used her original recipe for oat-based cookies with cranberries, walnuts, pecans, and white chocolate chips. She was chosen from the six finalists who came from the six states where Price Chopper operates. She saw the advertisement in a supermarket flier and decided to enter. Jennifer has a lot of experience as she started baking and cooking at an early age.

The Recipe

Gill uses sugar substitutes in the recipe but mixes in brown sugar to hide the taste. She just threw the recipe together as she likes to fool around with recipes. She believes the cookies are the best of both worlds, as they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The cookies are meant to be enjoyed all year round and at special occasions such as Easter, the Superbowl, and Valentine's Day.

The Superbowl

The cookies are intended for all occasions including the Superbowl and Valentine's Day. After all, great things happen on Super Sunday. So try them during the Superbowl and let us know what you think. Let us make a national hero out of this small town girl.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup Splenda

2 eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy, about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat another minute or two to mix well. Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix by hand, then add the rest of the flour just until combined. Add the cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips and fold into the batter. Drop by tablespoons on to prepared cookie sheet and bake 8 - 10 minutes. The edges will be lighted browned. Cool on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to a rack to cool the rest of the way. Yield three dozen cookies.

Source: Cecilia Baress, Butter and brown sugar are secrets to award-winning receipt, The Citizens Voice, January 16, 2011.

2. www.pricechopper.com