Quinn’s Cookie Exchange

Becca and I are joining in on a fun event to celebrate Angela Felsted's release of her YA Contemporary, Chaste . Instead of the usual blog splash type launch event, Angela is tapping into the holiday spirit and forming a cookie exchange. Why cookies? Because Quinn, the teenage main character in Chaste, knows his way around a kitchen!





Clara @Wikimedia Commons

Hey, I love cookies. Becca loves cookies. And, we're willing to bet you guys love cookies too! So, here is a favorite cookie recipe from both Becca and myself. Enjoy!



Angela's recipe:




Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti



INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup dried cranberries
& 1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts



DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla & almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.



Divide dough in half & form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove & set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) and cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet & bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry.








Becca's recipe:




White Chocolate-Strawberry Squares


INGREDIENTS:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

12 ounces white chocolate chips

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon almod extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup strawberry preserves or jam

1/3 cup slice almonds

foil

non-stick spray



DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, letting the ends extend 2 inches over the edges on both sides. Coat with non-stick spray.



2. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over low heat (mixture may look curdled).



3. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until lemon-colored. Stir in white chip mixture and extract until combined, then the flour until blended. Remove and reserve 1/2 cup of the batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan.



4. Bake 20 minutes. Gently spread preserves evenly over crust. Spoon dollops of reserved batter over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Then lift by foil ends to a cutting board and cut into squares.



Want to find out a bit more about Angela's book, Chaste ? Here's the blurb:





When he steps into his physics class on the first day of senior year, Quinn Walker is too exhausted from staying up all night with his three-month-old nephew to deal with moral dilemmas. As a devout Mormon who has vowed to wait until marriage for sex, the last thing he needs is a very hot and very sexy Katarina Jackson as his physics partner. Regrettably, he has no choice. 



 Kat feels invisible in her mansion of a home six months after losing her older brother in a fatal car crash and will do anything to get her parents’ attention. Since her pastor father has no love for Quinn’s “fake” religion and her ex-boyfriend refuses to leave her alone, she makes an impulsive bet with her friends to seduce her holier-than-thou lab partner by Christmas. 



Oh, now that is a blurb! You can feel the tension and I love characters who are so far apart on the morality scale. I hope you enjoyed our cookie exchange, and kudos for Angela for thinking up something different for her book launch. We love it when creativity allows someone's book to stand out!



Do you have a family favorite cookie recipe? Let's get an exchange going--please post it below, or tell us about the best cookie you ever ate!