Hot Cookies: Holiday sales are popular and sell out fast

You know that commercial where the mom splashes herself with flour to make it look like she's been slaving away baking from scratch when she was really using a prepared dough?

You, too, can be that woman. Yet what you'll end up serving is likely to be far better than anything that comes out of a tube.

Members of area nonprofit organizations have been baking up a storm in preparation for holiday cookie sale fundraisers. These popular annual events are a holiday must for many of their patrons.

"We have them standing outside before the doors open at 8," said Mary Shultz, president of the Old Mission Women's Club, which earned about $2,000 from last year's sale. "We keep making more and more cookies (every year) and still we keep running out."

The group has about 135 members and most are baking at least five dozen each for this year's sale.

"We should make it until noon this year," Shultz said. "We're really making an effort to get cookies made."

"We have some physicians who buy them to give in their office and to their employees," Shultz said. "People bring them home, freeze and serve them for the family."

"Anything with chocolate and nuts seems to go real well," said Dee Crawford of the Friends of the Kalkaska County Public Library, which is holding a sale Dec. 5. "And fudge. Candy, too."

Dawn Brown isn't a nonprofit, and she isn't holding a sale on any particular day. But she's an avid cookie baker and bill herself as "The Cookie Mom," offering to bake cookies for those who can't or don't do it themselves.

"I'm a stay-at-home mom with three kids," she said. "Everybody likes baked goods and they don't have time."

Here's a listing of cookie events submitted in response to a Record-Eagle notice seeking the information. Organizations that aren't included here and want their cookie sales publicized in upcoming calendars should send them to jtaylor@record-eagle.com.

United Methodist Women of Central United Methodist Church annual Cookie Walk. Cookies and old family favorites will be sold inside the main entrance of the church at 222 Cass St., Traverse City, starting at 4 p.m. Profits support mission projects. Call 946-5191.

Friends of the Kalkaska County Library Cookie Sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kalkaska County Library. Call 258-9411.

Traverse City St. Francis Church WinterFest Cookie Sale. More than 10,000 cookies and treats in 40-plus varieties, sold at $7 per pound, with credit cards welcome. Doors open at 9 a.m. in Kohler Auditorium at St. Francis High School.

The Katherine Guild at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Rogers Road and U.S. 31 in Interlochen, will hold its cookie walk from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cookies are $5 per pound. There will also be vintage jewelry, crafts and a silent auction, as well as a luncheon. Call 276-9517.

Old Mission Women's Club Annual Cookie Sale, from 8 a.m. to noon, Peninsula Township Fire Station No. 2 three miles north of Traverse City on Center Road. Holiday treats and breads, including ethnic favorites like delicate Norwegian rosettes and fruit-laden stolen. A harpist will be on hand playing holiday music. Proceeds benefit charitable causes. Call 223-4844.

Kingsley Project Graduation Christmas Cookie Sale. A variety of homemade cookies and treats for sale by the pound at Kingsley High School, in conjunction with Kingsley Bands Christmas Concerts, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Homestead Township Skate Park Parents Cookie Sale fundraiser will feature several kinds of holiday cookie treats including sugar-free varieties and quick breads. Running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Homestead Township Hall, 11508 Main, Honor. Call 325-3348.

St. Mary's of Lake Leelanau will sell "the most traditional to your favorites" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the social hall, 307 S. St. Mary's St., Lake Leelanau. Cookies will be sold for $8 per pound. For more information, call Lori Pease, 271-4054.

The Grawn United Methodist Church, 1260 W. Silver Lake Road, hosts "The Sweet Shoppe" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering at least 50 varieties of cookies and bars and at least 35 varieties of homemade fudge and candies. Arts, crafts and a children's shop will be offered. Call 943-0834.

Trinity Lutheran Church 10th Annual Christmas Cookie Sale. More than 18,000 hand-decorated cookies including several "Old World" recipes, variety packs and treats for pets will be offered starting at 9 a.m. The gym will be decorated in a Christmas motif. Most cookies are sold out by 1 p.m. Free samples and coffee. Trinity Lutheran Church is at Thirteenth and Maple in Traverse City.

Grace Church Cookie Walk. Cookies will be sold at $7 per pound, along with crafts, at the church located at Washington and Boardman in Traverse City. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 947-2330.

Presbyterian Women's Association of Traverse City annual Holiday Cookie Walk from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or until cookies are sold. Treats will be sold for $6 per pound and will also be individually priced. The church is at 701 Westminster Road. Call 946-5680.

Kingsley Project Graduation Christmas Cookie Sale. A variety of homemade cookies and treats for sale by the pound at Kingsley Middle School, in conjunction with Kingsley Bands Christmas Concerts, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Cookie Mom Cookie Sale. Home baker Dawn Brown will bake your favorites to order, at $5 per dozen baked or $10 for two dozen scoop-and-bake frozen dough. Call 276-6468.

In a low heat pan, melt 2 T. of the butter, butterscotch chips and corn syrup. After well-blended, stir in cashews and set aside.

Cream 1/2 c. butter with the sugar until smooth. Mix in flour and salt. Press evenly into a 9-by-9-inch pan lined with parchment. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes. Spread mixture over crust and bake for 10-12 more minutes or until golden brown. When slightly cool, cut into 12 squares and then cut the squares into triangles.

Mix butter and sugar until well-blended. Add water, vanilla and salt; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring until well-blended after each addition. Shape into one-inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate as directed on package. Dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate. NOTE: Cool cookie slightly before pressing top into white grated chocolate so white chocolate won't melt. Let stand until set. Makes about 108 cookies.

Combine butter, sugar and softened cream cheese, mixing until well-blended. Blend in eggs, lemon juice and rind.

Combine flour and baking powder; mix well. Add to butter/cream cheese mixture. Chill. Shape dough into balls. Indent centers. Fill with preserves. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Makes seven dozen.

Cream butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy. Add well-beaten egg and blend. Sift flour with dry ingredients and stir well into butter mixture. Add oatmeal, coconut, nuts and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil around the edges. Add the chocolate and heat gently until chocolate is melted and blended, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Add egg and vanilla and beat to form a thick paste. You can ship the whole batter in a blender until thoroughly smooth or use the batter as is. Lightly butter a sheet of foil fitted over a cookie sheet. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonsful, or smaller, onto the foil, leaving two inches between cookies because they spread while baking. Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Chill as soon as removed from oven. When cold, remove at once from foil and store airtight. Makes about 3 dozen.

Note: There is no flour in this recipe so it should be good for a gluten-free diet.

-- Betty Koons, Presbyterian Women's Association, The Presbyterian Church of Traverse City

Photos

Ronna Griffin reads the recipes as Karen Robinson prepares ingredients for a batch of Christmas cookies that will be sold during the church-s annual cookie sale. Record-Eagle

Baked cookies are ready for boxing at Trinity Lutheran Church. Record-Eagle