2001 - A Team Effort

A fistful of recipes. Thanks, Mom!

Lisa's work schedule was manic again, so Mom and Lisa's three youngest daughters kicked off the baking bonanza this year. They worked at Mom's house and she had a bit of an assembly line going. She set up a card table in the living room too, so they could work in teams on different jobs. Very productive! 

One weekend, they made Butterscotch Refrigerator Cookies. I don't know whose idea they were because I've never been a big fan of butterscotch. The recipe calls for melted chips, but they decided the cookies would be better with whole chips left intact. (I think they would be better if Lisa made them like she made Un-Pumpkin Bread and leave the butterscotch out completely!) They also made Grandma Baker's Peanut Butter Cookies; Rachel and April were in charge of rolling the balls in the sugar before criss-crossing them with a fork.

While Lisa and I seem to focus on chocolate and peanut butter as our favorite cookie ingredients, Mom gets tired of all the chocolate year after year, and tends to deviate toward the fruitier alternatives. After starting solo with a batch of Pumpkin Cookies on another weekend session, she whipped up a batch of Glazed Pina Colada Bars - a new entry for her from Land O' Lakes. She made two 8-inch versions and a third, smaller one, in disposable aluminum pans, so I get to take a whole batch back with me.

Tropical Orange Coconut Drops, another new entry, were up next. However, Mom opted for Tropical Lemon Coconut Drops this time around. She and Danielle baked them while Rachel drizzled icing on the Pina Colada Bars. She recommends placing waxed paper beneath the cookies and drizzling the icing with a fork.

Danielle was in charge of the Citrus Slice 'N' Bake Cookies. They're refrigerator cookies that get formed into logs, brushed with melted butter, rolled in orange or lemon sugar, and then sliced. Very bright in flavor and appearance. I think lime would be good too. 

Raspberry Strippers, from last year, made a repeat appearance. They're neat log cookies that are filled with jam, baked, drizzled with icing, and then cut diagonally into little cookies. 

I guess to prevent an all-out revolt, she ended with Fudge Revel Bars, another newbie - but at least they're chocolate! "These smelled delicious while they were baking," she said. After she melted the chocolate, she swirled it into the batter with a wooden spoon for a marbleized effect. 

"This is my last year," she declared - again. (She says that every year!) Aside from making all these cookies, Mom also kindly copied each recipe onto a card for me. So, thanks to her, I'm going back with a suitcase full of cookies and a fistful of recipes! Thanks, Mom!

Tropical Orange Coconut Drops
2 c sugar
1 c butter
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon extract
3 1/2 c flour
1/2 c coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all ingredients except flour and coconut. Beat at low-speed until creamy. Stir in flour and coconut by hand until well mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8-12 minutes.