Friends are the Most Important Thing (plus recipe: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free & Vegan)

When I was in college, and my friend, Ken, left to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon church), I promised that every time he sent me a letter to let me know how things were going on his mission, I'd send back a care package with a fresh batch of his favorite cookies. He sent me several letters, keeping me up to date on his mission experiences, and he always requested my double chocolate chip cookies, which he shared with the people he was serving in Australia.

Ken and I kept in touch, even after his mission, and when the doctors first found my brain tumor back in 2002, only months after Ken was diagnosed with an aggressive stomach cancer, he helped me to put the fear and worry into perspective. He pointed me to a scripture that has come to be a source of comfort throughout the years, whenever I'm feeling totally lost and alone. From the Book of Mormon (Alma 7:12), speaking of Jesus Christ's Atonement: "And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."  Ken reminded me that, no matter what we were going through, Jesus Christ suffered all, and he knows exactly what we're feeling. We aren't alone, even when we feel like we are.

Even though we were living many miles apart at the time (Ken and his wife were in Utah, and Phil and I were in California), Ken and I had many phone conversations over the next few months. In fact, this friendship was extremely valuable for all of us during that difficult time. Ken and I were able to talk about our treatments: the pain, the sleepless nights, the things that our spouses just didn't get ... and Phil was able to commiserate with Ken's wife, Suzy, about the difficulties of being a caregiver. The worries, the helplessness, the things Ken and I simply couldn't understand from our points of view.

A few months later, when my little sister got married in Utah, I was able to bring one last care package with double chocolate chip cookies to Ken, though I had to give them to Suzy to bring to him, as Ken was too sick to meet with us by that time.

I still think of Ken every time I make my double chocolate chip cookies, and I miss him more than ever, as I sometimes wish I still had someone who "gets it" just a phone call away.

This year, I tweaked my tried-and-true recipe a bit to fit my own recent special dietary needs. But the cookies still tasted just like the fudgy, deliciousness that Ken always requested in his care packages.

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

You will need:

1 c. coconut oil

1/4 c. grapeseed oil

2 1/2 c. sugar

4 tbsp. tapioca starch

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. water

2 c. cocoa powder

2 c. gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 All-Purpose flour)
(optional) 1 pkg. vegan, soy-free chocolate chips (I use either Enjoy Life! brand or the Wegman's organic chocolate chips)

Cream together oils and sugar, until light and fluffy. 

Beat in tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. 

While continuing to mix at low speed, slowly drizzle in water until fully incorporated. Then, turn mixer up to high and beat 1-2 minutes.

Mix in cocoa powder. Then, add flour, and mix to combine.

Stir in chocolate chips. Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Form dough into 1/2-inch balls. (I used a mini cookie scoop, but you can do this by hand, if you don't have a small cookie scoop.) Drop onto parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake 8 minutes. 

Cool slightly on baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies should be soft and fudgy (more like a brownie consistency.)

You can also freeze the dough in individual portions on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. When fully frozen (after 2+ hours), transfer to large zipper-style freezer bags for future use. You can bake the cookies from frozen at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes.

Sometimes, the Best Things Come from a Need to Adapt (plus Recipe: Lemon Snowball Cookies)

When I was preparing cookies for our very first cookie party (in December 2009), I pulled out all of my favorite recipes. Cookies I'd made for years. Tried-and-true recipes handed down from parents, in-laws, and grandparents. Especially my favorite Christmas cookie: Russian Teacakes (a melt-in-your-mouth little bite-sized cookie full of chopped pecans). But then I realized that, for an open-house party like we were planning, not knowing the allergy profiles for every guest, it wouldn't be wise to serve anything with nuts.

I decided to tweak and adapt that Russian Teacakes recipe to something a bit more allergy-safe. I decided to use the delicious lemon bars my great-grandma used to make for every family Christmas party when I was a little girl as inspiration ... and my Lemon Snowball Cookies have been the biggest hit at our cookie parties ever since!

My friend, Susie, loved the Lemon Snowball Cookies so much that the unofficial name for the recipe in our house is "Aunt Susie's Christmas Cookies." And whenever I make them for the party, I hold several dozen in reserve until she arrives, so she can be sure to get some. And recently, Susie has adopted a mostly-vegan diet, so these cookies are perfect for her, as they have no eggs and can be made with margarine or shortening instead of butter, so they're great for a vegan diet.

This year, I tweaked the recipe even more. My brain tumor has been acting up lately, and the latest development (since September) is that I'm having allergic reactions (itchy, tingly skin, swollen tongue and throat, not being able to breathe...) to almost every food I try to eat (and not being able to breathe just because you wanted to eat lunch is no fun!)

I've identified about 30 safe ingredients so far, and I try to keep my food intake to these ingredients only. The Lemon Snowball Cookies easily adapted to my new, even more restricted diet, and you can find that recipe variation at the bottom of this post.

Original Lemon Snowball Cookie Recipe:

You’ll need:
1 c. butter (or margarine or vegetable shortening)
1 c. powdered sugar (divided)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. lemon extract
2 1/4 c. flour (whole wheat gives the most full flavor, but all-purpose works almost as well)

Cream together margarine and 1/2 c. powdered sugar.

Add lemon flavoring and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in flour.

Chill dough 3-4 hours. (If you skip this step, your cookies will not hold their shape.)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll into balls approximately 1/2″ in diameter (I use a mini cookie scoop, but you can use your hands, if you don’t have one.)

Place dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet. Cookies don’t spread when baked (unless you forgot to chill the dough), so you can place them close together, as long as they’re not touching. I can usually fit the entire batch of cookies onto one large baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set, but not browned. Cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Put the remaining 1/2 c. of powdered sugar into a gallon-sized zip-top baggie. Place the cooled cookies into the bag and zip closed. Shake the bag gently to coat each cookie in powdered sugar. I’ve found that 1/2 c. sugar is just about perfect for one batch of cookies, but you can use more or less, depending upon your personal taste preferences. (recipe makes approximately 8 dozen cookies)

These delicious little bite-sized cookies are so good, you’ll probably need to make several batches, if you want enough to share!

Gluten-Free, Vegan Lemon Snowball Cookies 

You will need: 
1 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. powdered sugar (+ 1/2 c. more to roll finished cookies in)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 1/4 c. Gluten-free All-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 All-Purpose GF Flour)


Follow mixing & baking directions for regular Lemon Snowball Cookies (above) with the following changes:
     * Add cornstarch with the salt and lemon extract (before stirring in the flour).

     * Because the coconut oil solidifies much faster than butter or margarine when chilled, I scooped the cookie balls BEFORE chilling the dough for this version. Place dough balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for about 30 minutes. (If you try to chill it first, the dough may be too hard and crumbly to portion properly.) You do still need to chill the dough (AFTER rolling into balls), but only for about an hour (instead of 3-4, as needed for the original recipe).

Make-ahead instructions for both versions:
     * Freeze individually-portioned cookie dough balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets until solid (30 minutes for GF version, 4-5 hours for original version). Then, transfer to large zipper-seal freezer bags.
     * When time to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies from frozen (no need to thaw!) for 12-15 minutes, until set but not browned. Cool, then roll in powdered sugar as before.

Cookie Party Basics: the How, the Why, and Lessons Learned (plus recipe: Chocolate Mint Cookies)

Many years ago, when my husband and I were still relatively newlyweds, we went to church with a family that had a wonderful tradition. Every Christmas, they would decorate their house and invite everyone they knew to a great open house Christmas party. They had a Christmas village, complete with a model train chugging along a track around it, that filled one room. Platters piled high with every kind of Christmas treat you could imagine on every counter in the kitchen. Gorgeously-decorated Christmas trees in every room. Dozens of people filled the house, eating holiday treats, singing carols, and laughing together. And it was wonderful. The best part? Even though we barely knew this family, they made us feel entirely welcome and loved. We decided that one day we would be that family.

So when we bought our house, we decided it was time to start our own Christmas Party tradition. In fact, one of the things we loved most about this house was that it was big enough to accommodate a crowd, and open enough to allow for a good flow of traffic. Perfect for the party we'd been planning for years. A party as elaborate as the one we had attended years before was too much to take on, though, so we decided to keep it relatively simple. Of course, we would put up several Christmas trees and decorate the foyer with our Christmas village. And of course we would invite all of our friends, neighbors, and casual acquaintances. But the decorations would be modest, and I couldn't even think about making all of the food we'd enjoyed at that other party.

I decided to focus on my favorite easy-to-share holiday treat (Cookies!) and we had our very first Cookie Party in December 2009.

We invited everyone we knew, including all of the neighbors we hadn't yet had a chance to meet. We decorated four Christmas trees, each with a different theme. And I spent weeks preparing and baking 18-25 dozen each of 15 different cookie varieties.

Unfortunately, two days before our party, Snowmageddon hit the east coast, dropping 18 inches of snow overnight. Roads were closed. Everything was cancelled. Many people couldn't even get out of their houses. And I had hundreds of dozens of cookies that we couldn't possibly eat all by ourselves!

Luckily, by the evening of our party, most of the roads in town had been plowed, and people were looking for an excuse to get out of the house after being cooped up all weekend long. We had more guests than I might have expected (with the snow and all), but we still had roughly half of our cookies remaining when it was all over.  And I learned some priceless lessons:

#1 - Cookies are a powerful force. The promise of delicious homemade cookies can draw people out, even during a crazy snowstorm.

#2 - It's important to label each type of cookie, making a note of possible allergy triggers in each one, just in case you have guests with sensitivities. (I also avoid any kind of nuts in my cookies for the party, even though I have some phenomenal nut-based cookie recipes, because the risk of cross-contamination is too great.) And when inventing new cookie flavors, it's important to write down your process ... for those moments when your guests ask for the recipes.

#3 - Bite-sized cookies are better than full-sized cookies. Guests can sample all 15 (or more) varieties without a lot of guilt if a dozen cookies is equal to approximately 3 or 4 traditionally-sized cookies.

#4 - You can't ever plan for everything. Sometimes, the weather will catch you off-guard and throw your entire carefully-thought-out plan out of whack. (So now I don't bake all of the cookies at once. I prepare and freeze the dough into individual portions in advance, keeping track of how many of each variety I have. The day before the party, I'll bake up a few dozen of each kind to start us off, and then I just keep my oven going all day. As a cookie plate starts running low, I'll pull that cookie variety out of the freezer and pop some into the oven. We have freshly-baked cookies all day long, I'm not left with a ton of extras at the end of the day, and any dough left in the freezer can be saved for future fresh-baked-cookie cravings.)

 #5 - No matter how many you make, there are some cookie flavors that are more popular. You will most likely run out of Chocolate Mint Cookies, so make a double batch!

 You will need (for a single batch of cookie dough - makes about 15 dozen bite-sized cookies):
1 c. butter (softened)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. mint extract
1/2 c. cocoa powder
3 c. flour
1 (12 oz) package mini chocolate chips (optional)

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, baking powder, salt, mint, and cocoa powder. Mix well.

Stir in flour (and optional chocolate chips, if desired). Chill dough 1 hour.

Form dough into 1/2-inch balls. (I use a mini cookie scoop, but you can do this by hand, if you don't have a cookie scoop.) Place on parchment-lined (or lightly-greased) cookie sheet, spaced 1 1/2 to 2-inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Cool for 1-2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.

Dough balls can be frozen prior to baking for future use. Place dough balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet (no need to leave space between cookies, as they won't spread in the freezer!), and freeze 6-8 hours. Then transfer to Ziploc freezer bags to store in your freezer for up to 6 months. (Actually, I've kept cookie dough in my freezer for over a year with no problems, but they're less likely to develop a freezer burn taste if you rotate your cookie dough stash frequently.) When you're ready to bake the frozen dough, you can either thaw the dough balls completely and then bake as usual, OR bake straight from the freezer at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes.

Variation: You can also make larger cookies, if you don't want the bite-sized version. Form dough into 1-inch balls. You'll need to press the dough balls to flatten slightly before baking (or they won't fully bake in the center), and you may want to bake for 9 minutes, instead of 8.

Anniversary Art Challenge: Picture #9 - Sparky McDuff, the Leprechaun

To celebrate our anniversary, my amazing artist husband, Phil, decided that he would do a 19-day art challenge, drawing one new picture every day for 19 days. And I thought it sounded like fun, so I jumped right on the band wagon and declared that I would write a silly, one-page story to go with each picture he creates during this challenge. Of course, I have to wait for him to finish each day's picture before I can write the story, so I should be one day behind him ... but I'm actually more than a few days behind. (Today, I'm once again trying to play catch-up! There will be multiple stories & pictures posted throughout the day, and eventually, all of the pictures & my stories will be posted on my website.)

The picture from Day #9 was a leprechaun, complete with a rainbow and a bubble pipe. (I kind of love this, because when we were in college, I used to keep a bottle of soap bubbles in my pocket, and I would blow bubbles while I walked across campus between classes.) It took me a few days to find the leprechaun's story, but here it is, only two days late for St. Patrick's Day. :)

Sparky McDuff tucked his pot of gold beneath the sprawling roots of a giant ash tree and leaned against the trunk to wait. He filled his pipe with the finest bubble solution and blew a long puff of air, sending iridescent bubbles shimmering through the air. Now, he only needed a rainbow to seal a lucky charm into his gold. This would protect it from any would-be thieves and bandits. 

He smiled at the clear blue sky and closed puffed away happily at his pipe. At least he had picked a nice day for it. When his older brother and sister had charmed their pots of gold, they hadn't chosen as wisely. Goldie had sat for three hours in a miserable, gray drizzle before the rainbow appeared for her. And Colin had endured a torrential downpour for forty-five minutes in order to find his rainbow. They had both been soaked and miserable by the time their gold had cured. 

But Sparky was smart. He checked the weather every day for a week until he'd found the perfect day. Blue skies and sunshine were much better for rainbow-watching than overcast, drizzly skies. There wasn't even a single cloud to ruin his wait.

He waited all day, happily puffing on his pipe, but the lazy rainbow didn't appear. And when night fell, Sparky had no choice but to remain with the tree and his gold. Without the rainbow charm, any random passerby could easily snag his treasure as their own.

For days, Sparky sat under the ash tree, but although birds sang merrily in the treetops and the sun shone brightly in the clear, blue sky, not a single rainbow appeared. Finally, on the ninth day, dark clouds rolled in and covered the sun. Sparky frowned and shivered inside his coat as fat raindrops splashed on his head. All of his careful planning had been for nothing. 

Tired, cold and hungry after more than a week of waiting for a rainbow that never came, Sparky now had to endure a rainstorm as well. But just as he was about to give up and go home, the clouds parted and a brilliant ray of sun burst forth, reflecting off the lingering raindrops. And suddenly, the brightest rainbow he'd ever seen arched through the sky and settled on Sparky's pot of gold.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day to all of my American friends and readers! And to those of you in other parts of the world, Happy Summertime Friday! (There's always some reason to celebrate life, right?)

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, not because of the backyard BBQ or the watermelon-eating contests, or even the impressive fireworks displays, but because I love having a day set aside to celebrate our gratitude for freedom and liberty, and to remember all the brave men and women who fought (and still fight) for those freedoms. Please take a moment today, wherever you may be, to give thanks for the blessings in your life.

Side note:
As you may have noticed, my blogging efforts have slowed recently. (This happens every summer, as my children are out of school, and I'm spending more family together time with them.) I am still around, and I have a few recipes and book reviews ready to post in the upcoming weeks, but the pace will continue to be slow here on the blog probably until school is once again in full-swing in September.

In the meantime, you can still find me online. Most days, I'm on Twitter and Facebook. And I've had a couple of really fun interviews recently.

* The Debut Dish interview with That Artsy Reader Girl - I got to share a blog post with A.J. Pine (who I absolutely adore), and you still have 2 days to enter to win a copy of A.J.'s fun NA romance, IF ONLY, so go check it out!

* My Life in Movie Titles interview on the brand-new Breathless Ink blog - I got to share a little bit about myself and my book, and to celebrate some of my favorite movies in the process. This was one of the most fun interviews I've ever participated in. PLUS, you can win a copy of TWELVE STEPS and other great books!!

Book Review: LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG CHRISTMAS by Katie Davis

As we enter the Christmas season, and advertisers everywhere try to convince us that 'tis better to receive than to give, I present to you a picture book for toddlers that emphasizes the true, giving meaning of the season.



LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG CHRISTMAS by Katie Davis (illustrated by Jerry Davis) is a cute picture book perfect for reading with your little one while curled up on the couch together by the Christmas tree. A sequel to LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG DAY, this book tells the story of Little Chicken's anxious wait for Christmas morning. He's excited about one present in particular. Not a present from Santa under the tree, but a present he made for his mama. I love the message that the best part of the holiday isn't in what you get, but in what you give to others.

I received a review copy of this book from Katie Davis, and when I read it through quickly, I thought it was cute, but I have to admit I wasn't rave-to-all-my-friends impressed.
But then I sat down with my children and read the story to them. The sparse words allowed them to fill in their own observations on the story, and they noticed things in the illustrations (an expression on Little Chicken's face, or his untied shoelaces, for example) that I had totally glossed over. The read-aloud experience pushed this book from a four-star to a definite five-star rating in my mind. This is a perfect book for reading over and over again with your children. (Even my teenage son got into the fun!) The story may evolve and change as your child's ideas and interests mature, making it ideal for a wide range of readers.

And through December 12, every purchase of Little Chicken's Big Christmas  will come with a FREE download of a Write Your Own Story Coloring Book! It's the entire book as coloring book - a great gift in and of itself or to go with Little Chicken's Big Christmas. Just email your receipt to support@katiedavis.com and you'll be sent the link to download!

 

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013 to you all!

I hope your holidays were filled with fun and laughter, and I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

I've been visiting family and working hard on finishing up my 2012 writing goals. (I didn't quite finish by the end of the year, but I'm still making progress and determined not to quit.) Next week, I'll try to get back on schedule with my regular blog posts, as well as a wrap-up of my favorite things from 2012.

Until then, I'll leave you with this pictorial review of my fun-filled holiday season:

youngest daughter reading a book for a local radio show

2nd daughter reading a book for the same local radio show

Making cookies for friends and family

100 handmade ornaments

making cookies with Nana

playing games with extended family

playing games with my parents, brothers, sisters and nephews

visiting my niece

 I only have one resolution for the coming year:
I will conquer my fears and put myself out there, because I'll never succeed if I never try!

What are your goals for 2013?