jeannine atkins and her friends, laura and rose

April 21, 2010November 1, 2017 ~ jama ~ 1 Comment

#15 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2010.

Why, yes. That would be Jeannine Atkins up there waving to us from atop that airplane. Of all our Potluck guests, Jeannine knows best how to make a dramatic entrance. And she’s not fashionably late or anything, which is quite surprising considering she had to travel back in time to bring us the two amazing women who appear in her poem: Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane.

Today, Jeannine is sharing an excerpt from her recently released verse biography, Borrowed Names. You may remember my singing its praises on its official pub day. Since then, it has earned yet another *starred review*, this time from Horn Book! We’re absolutely thrilled for this author/poet/professor who dares to defy publishing odds against poetry and historical fiction. Just as Rose Wilder Lane once flew over San Francisco Bay strapped to the wing of an airplane, these days Jeannine Atkins is flying high on well-deserved praise.

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here, cookie cookie!

December 22, 2009November 18, 2017 ~ jama ~ 9 Comments

I saw this adorable image at CakeSpy.com recently, and simply had to ask Head Spy, Jessie Oleson, for permission to post it here. It’s got to be one of the cleverest ways ever, to present a cookie!

Turns out she created the drawing for a guest post she was doing for Serious Eats (see it here), featuring the recipe for Berlinerkranser wreath cookies. I love to make these buttery wreaths flavored with orange zest, because they always look beautiful on a cookie tray and are totally scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth heaven. In case you’re looking for a new cookie to impress your guests this holiday season, try Jessie’s recipe, or the one I’ve always made, from the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook:

CHRISTMAS WREATHS
(makes 54 cookies)

sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg white, beaten
red and green candied cherries, chopped

1. In large bowl, measure 1/2 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients. With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until just mixed; increase speed to medium and beat 4 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. (Mixture may look dry.)

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Take a heaping teaspoon-ful of dough at a time and roll it into 6-inch rope. Place each dough rope on cookie sheet in a circle, crossing ends over.

3. Brush cookies with egg white and sprinkle on some sugar. Decorate with red and green cherries.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes until light golden. Allow wreaths to cool on cookie sheet. Store cookies in a tightly covered container.

—————————————-

*Bonus Recipe

Speaking of looking beautiful on a cookie tray, I also love these Neopolitan Cookies. They take a little more time, but are totally worth it. Nom nom all the way!

NEOPOLITAN COOKIES
(makes 72 cookies)

photo by mmwm.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
5 drops red food color
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. With mixer at low speed, beat flour, sugar, butter, egg, baking powder, vanilla and salt until just mixed. At medium speed, beat 3 minutes.

2. Divide dough among 3 small bowls. Add almond extract and red food color to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed.

3. In 1-quart saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate. Mix chocolate into second portion; mix walnuts with remainder.

4. Line 9″x5″ loaf pan with waxed paper and spread almond dough evenly in pan. Then spread walnut dough and finally, chocolate dough.

5. Cover layered dough in pan with waxed paper and place it in refrigerator until firm, about 4 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Invert pan over board to turn out chilled dough and peel off waxed paper.

7. With sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half. Slice each half of dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

8. Place slices on cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes unti light brown. Remove to wire racks and cool.

by erin taylor.

♥ If you’ve yet to experience the unending deliciousness that is CakeSpy, make sure you click on through lickety split. Jessie and her fellow cake detectives have been posting all kinds of wonderful holiday recipes. Check the CakeSpy Online Shop for adorable Cuppie merchandise — cards, prints, t-shirts, accessories, etc. Yummy!

Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing:
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.
~ Grace Noll Crowell

calling all cookies: let’s party!

November 29, 2007November 19, 2017 ~ jama ~ 28 Comments

Well, December is finally here, and that can only mean one thing:

COOKIES! (Please scroll down to the wreath to see all the recipes.)

This just might be the best part of the holidays for me. You can take all the gross materialism and office parties and stress and noise and pressure to be “happy.” Just leave me alone with my cookies!

I’m not bragging here. But cookies are what I do best. I like baking in general, but I’m always on the lookout for more cookie recipes. That’s because the cookie is probably the most egalitarian of all foods. Whether you like your cookies rolled, dropped, frosted, sugared, cut into bars, or shot out of a press, there is a cookie just for you. Eat an old fashioned oatmeal with a cold glass of milk, or nibble on some rich shortbread in your kilts. We’re talking endless variety, comfort, and a direct line to childhood.

To put it simply, when a man is tired of cookies, he is tired of life.

December is Cookie Month here at alphabet soup, and you’re invited to the party! I’ll be posting my favorite tested cookie recipes each week, but I want to know what kind of cookies you bake. Is there a favorite recipe you make with your children every Christmas or Chanukah? Or a special cookie you usually take to a party, or wrap up as a wonderful homebaked gift? What about a beloved cookie from your childhood, a family recipe? Bring it on!

You can either post your cookie recipe on your blog, then leave me the URL/link in a comment at any of my upcoming cookie posts, OR, you can send me the recipe via email, and I will post it. I’ll then round up all the recipes so everyone can access them anytime by clicking on the COOKIE PARTY link in my sidebar. My email address is readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot com). We’ll be partying all month long, so feel free to post at your convenience.

To start things off, here is my all-time favorite recipe. It makes a lot of cookies, guaranteed to get lips smackin’ and people hollerin’ for more. I’ve been making these for over 30 years, and have never met anyone who didn’t like them. It’s my brother’s favorite recipe, too. When I left Hawaii to seek fame and fortune overseas, he didn’t miss me all that much, but he did miss these cookies.

Click here for the recipe!