Cookies, cookies, cookies!
By Erin Murphy, from the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries by Leslie Budewitz“Live in the moment. Unless it’s unpleasant. Then, eat a cookie.” – the Cookie Monster
I’m not alone in considering the Cookie Monster one of the great American philosophers of the modern era, right? (Along with Yoda, Bruce Lee, and Lin Manuel Miranda.)
So when my mother suggested that I take over hosting the annual friends-and-family Christmas cookie exchange, now that she’s moved out of the Orchard homestead and Adam and I have moved in, I readily agreed. It’s a group of women gathering to share cookies for the season. What could go wrong?
Well, first, my cousin Molly showed up with Six-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. (Here's the recipe, from Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.) They’re great, and they’re gluten-free, which I’m not but I know is critical to many people. The problem is, they’re not Christmas cookies.
And then, one of the guests didn’t show up. No call, no text, no Merrily. After the way her parents treated her on Decorating Day, I thought she needed a few new friends, and was looking forward to getting to know her better. Sheriff’s Deputy Kim Caldwell, my BFF since the 5th grade, assured me there was no reason to worry—Merrily was probably too embarrassed to come, since everyone knows what happened twenty years ago.
But I don’t care about that. I worried anyway.
And I was right.
Hand me a cookie, would you, please? I could eat the whole plate. Even the peanut butter cookies, because I am afraid this is one seriously unpleasant moment.
Talk to me about cookies, or Christmas, or philosophers for a chance to win a signed copy of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES (June 8, 2018, Midnight Ink). (US and Canadian addresses only, please.) Mr. Kitten will choose the winner on Wednesday, May 30.
From the cover of AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5 (Midnight Ink, June 2018, available for pre-order now):
In Jewel Bay---Montana's Christmas Village---all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily’s turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.
When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. A past president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.
Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.
I love cookies. Every Christmas, my daughters and I would make bunches of cookies. Now I have a grandson who will enjoy that same tradition.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
Cooking and eating together is the heart of so many memories, don't you think?
DeleteMy favorite cookie is a snickerdoodle! Thanks for the chance. Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThe name is almost as much fun to say as the cookies are to eat!
DeleteI like using my cookie press for Christmas cookies. Besides Christmas trees, there are other shapes you can make.
ReplyDeletedebprice60@gmail.com
Oh, spritz! My mother made trees, wreaths, dogs(!), and I forget what else. I've got her press but rarely use it, so good for you for keeping it going!
DeleteI don't make a lot of Christmas cookies now but I always enjoyed the cut out sugar cookies. I didn't have the talent to decorate them as you see in magazines but just with frosting and sprinkles they were special. We like Chocolate chip cookies and Ginger Snap cookies. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net
ReplyDeleteGingersnaps are Mr. Right's favorite! My other main character adds black pepper to them for a little extra bite!
DeleteI love cookies! Peanut butter cookies are ok with me no matter what time of the year! I am super excited for the release of this one. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletemagicgirl2357@yahoo.com
Cookies are always in good taste!
DeleteI like homemade chocolate chip cookies and ginger snaps. But I try not to have them in the house too often.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
Oh, gosh, I know exactly what you mean!
DeleteLast night my daughter and I were going to have "The Great Colorado Cookie Bake-Off" for chocolate chip cookies, but unfortunately, we only had one bag of chips, and she claimed them first. She was convinced her internet recipe was the best, while I think the recipe on the back of Ghiradelli chocolate chips is the best. I must admit that her cookies were delicious. Thanks for your giveaway -- I love books set at Christmas time! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteThat Ghirardelli recipe is the go-to in our house, too! Your contest sounds yummy!
DeleteMy Christmas go-to cookies are chocolate chip, peanut butter and butter cookies. Yum! lkleback at hotmail.com.
ReplyDeleteYou can never go wrong with cookies!
DeleteOh I do love cookie exchanges! I think if there was one today I’d make......iced orange cookies or molasses crinkles. And I’d eat them too! I should go on a walk — just thinking about all these cookies is doing me in! Rbehling 1916 at ya hoo dot com
ReplyDeleteSuch a great way to get more variety on the cookie tray without spending more time in the kitchen!
DeleteSaw the teaser for this on facebook and thought, wow what a great way to murder someone. Giveaway cookies and one of the batch is poisonous. Oh no I have been reading too many cozies, lol. No way is that possible! Cannot wait. My copy is pre-ordered.
ReplyDeleteA poisoned cookie? OH NO!!! Thanks for joining in the fun!
DeleteI love the book cover, and I agree with Cookie Monster 100%. My favorite Christmas cookies are Rum Balls. Thank you for this chance. areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteRum balls and bourbon balls add a great kick to the season, don't they?
DeleteI love peanut butter cookies and, even though they are not traditional, I love to make them at Christmas. I also like sugar cookies with colored sugar on top—I’m not really a frosting person. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI'm willing to be decorated sugar cookies top the popularity poll at Christmas -- esp for younger eaters!
DeleteI am not much of a Baker, I do love when my sister makes my grandma's Russian Tea Cookies around Christmas.. (so light and flaky.. yummm) I tend to burn store bought ready bake cookies, they never turn out. Guess I will let everyone else bake, and I will bring the salsa 😁❤ lilyanngill56(@)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIf you love Russian Tea Cakes, aka Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cakes, and Pecan Sandies, I think you'll love this book -- though I can't say more without spoilers!
DeleteBaking cookies at Christmas is a tradition that I passed on to my step-children and now their children. My two grandsons now look forward to making cookies before Christmas and leaving some out for Santa. :)
ReplyDeleteHow Santa got so roly-poly -- and so jolly!
DeleteAw, don't discriminate against peanut butter cookies!
ReplyDeletePut them on a festive plate and enjoy.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Erin would say that PB cookies are too good to turn them into Christmas cookies -- she'd rather eat them all year round!
DeleteMy mother made the best Spritz cookies in the world. It couldn't be Christmas without them.
ReplyDeleteI can never resist them, either!
DeleteI love monster cookies and Christmas mysteries. Thanks for the chance to win. Candykennedy45@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMonster cookies? Do tell! Somehow I don't think you mean simply that they're large!
DeleteI love peanut butter or oatmeal cookies. Also like the no bake oatmeal cookies. We don't bake amy at Christmas but we do enjoy them year round. Looking forward to the new book. ( nvictoria77@yahoo.com )
ReplyDeleteSome treats are too good to limit to once a year!
DeleteEven though they are not Christmas cookies, my favorite cookie to make is chocolate chip. My mom used to make an Italian cookie at Christmas that is flavored with anise and a bit dry...so you can dunk them in coffee.Thanks so much for the chance to win! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about Italian cookie traditions in writing this book!
DeleteCornflake cookies are my favorite. They always end up on the plate for Santa, so I consider them Christmas cookies. Really tho, I enjoy them year round.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com
Oh, I remember those! Glad they're a hit with Santa!
DeleteI enjoy eating lots and lots of different kinds of cookies at Christmas time----but I don't like to bake for days and days---so I get many of mine at church bake sales.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Great idea! A cookie exchange works, too.
Deletei am a cookie lover, all kinds, especially at Christmas. I go overboard then!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
faithdcreech at gmail dot com
Tis the season for going overboard!
DeleteI always liked bar cookies best especially Jeweled Spice Bars (Mom found the recipe in a magazine, probably in the 60s, but possibly early 70s).
ReplyDeleteMom lost the recipe when they moved to Texas. It was baked in a 9x13 pan, with candied fruit, I think. And a drizzled glaze. The cookie part was blondis but had warm spices.
vereader(at)fuse(dot)net
Those sound like Hermits, very popular back then. Try a search!
DeleteShortbread cookies are my favorite. Your book would be greatly enjoyed. Thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteClassics -- love them!
DeleteLemon cookies and bars have always been enticing for me. Irresistible as well. Thanks for your great recipe. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLemon bars -- yum!!!
DeleteI love making Christmas cookies, but I have to take them to work after making them, since I don't want to have them in the house. Kkcochrsn (at) hotmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteOh, yes -- I know the danger. Alas, I work at home!
DeleteI love cookies, especially Christmas cookies. My Sister and I always make the Christmas cookies when we get together for the holiday. It wouldn't be Christmas without cookies. Looking forward to reading the book.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
What fun -- baking together!
DeleteI love cookies, Christmas or otherwise. My mom makes incredible Kris Kringle cookies (cutouts). When I was little we would make these together, well, she would make, I would decorate. Mom would also make chocolate chip cookies. My friend Mark always makes a variety of Christmas cookies and sends me some! You know, now I really want a cookie!
ReplyDeletecozyupwithkathy @ gmail dot com
Right? You all are making me hungry, too!
DeleteEvery Christmas my friend and her sons deliver plates of cookies to their family and friends. A lovely tradition. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteA lovely tradition! My mother, who was not a good cook but baked beautifully, was known far and wide for her Christmas cookies, and plates of them always bring back that memory.
DeleteI love to bake and I love cookies. I celebrate Yule instead on Christmas and we love to make sugar cookies as a family, decorating the cookies and sharing them with the rest of the family. It's a fun tradition and one of our most favorite ones. My favorite memories are when I was young and decorating cookies with my Aunt, the family baker. When I had my own children, my Aunt would make cookies with them and let them do all of the decorating. Her kitchen would look like a hurricane went through but she never got angry.
ReplyDeletescarletbegonia5858(at)gmail(dot)com
Cupcake, what a delightful memory! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteMy sister-in-law makes ginger cookies for the holidays - she can never make enough to satisfy the crowd.
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
Oh, ginger cookies -- definitely Christmas cookies!
DeleteMe luv coo-keez! Pumpkin chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter chip, peanut butter chocolate chip. A weakness I'm not sure I want to get over! Would love to read a book from this series. Christmas in June works for me! jeaniedannheim (at) ymail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteMama Cat, come bake for me!
DeleteI love cookies, especially those containing chocolate of some amount. Chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies with chocolate & butterscotch chips, peanut butter blossoms, etc. I love baking them too as well as trying recipes for new to me cookies. Thanks for the chance. I know I'll be looking for this book. ematov(at)comcast(dot)net
ReplyDeleteChocolate makes the world go round, IMO! Thanks for joining in the fun.
DeleteI appreciate the nod to gluten-free cookies. That recipe really needs to be baked in this household. If not for Christmas...maybe Memorial Day?! I have an incurable sweet tooth ( much to the benefit of my dentist) so a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie is one of my specialties. I make a batch every week to share with the grandkids and the Domino Dames who gather weekly to enjoy each other’s company, yummy snacks and a lively game of dominoes. The cookies are always winners!
ReplyDeleteCookies make a party, don't they?
DeleteP.S. cookies distract me so easily that I forgot to include my email : lldawnjm (at) gmail (dot) com thanks for a chance to win a copy!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy eating Christmas cookies - but never made them until I married into a Catholic family. They weren't part of the Hanukkah celebration. When the children were small, we spent many hours at Grandma's "helping" her make them. Cheers (at) MarjimManor (dot) com
ReplyDeleteLOL! But I have seen a few recipes for Hannukah cookies, and when Mr. Right used to travel to NYC to treat his Hassidic patients, one of them routinely sent him home with a tin of fabulous cookies!
DeleteMy favorite Christmas cookies were my Moms secret shortbread cookies and her walnut cookies. I will always miss them. abeachlifesc@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteTreasure those memories -- I know you do.
DeleteI live with a young man who has special needs and his nickname is Cookie Monster. He has yet to meet a cookie that he doesn't like. lol! Some of his favorites are peanut butter, snickerdoodles, and of course, chocolate chip. There are always cookies in our home. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI live with one of those, too! Though he's not exactly young...
DeleteCookies are always a special treat. Thanks for the giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteI love to cook, but had never really been a baker, that was my husband who makes the most incredible pies...BUT one day I decided to make cookies to surprise my husband and I experimented using cake batter to make them soft. I used chocolate fudge and believe it or not, it worked, so now I am hooked on cookie making. For Christmas this year I made 6 dozen cookies...but there was only the two of us this past Christmas and my 91 year old mother, whose birthday is Christmas Day and mine 2 days before...so I made it her birthday gift and the gift to all my neighbors! So many cookies. Now I bake. Can't wait to read As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles!
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent discovery!
DeleteI enjoy cookies and used to make them all the time, mostly chocolate chip. But now that we have an empty nest and my health isn't the best, we don't really make them that often. We don't need to have the temptation around.Thanks for this opportunity.jluebke(at)frontier(dot)com
ReplyDelete"Lead me not into temptation -- I can bake it myself!"
DeleteSpritz cookies are my favorite cookies and Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I can't wait for the book! ElaineE246 at msn dot com
ReplyDeleteSpritz rank right up with decorated sugar cookies for top spot, I suspect!
DeleteI love cookies and have a hard time picking a favorite. Christmas is all about spritz, gingerbread, and tea cakes. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3 ay hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIf you like tea cakes, I think you'll love this book!
DeletePeanut butter cookies are delicious and gingerbread cookies, yum. Donamaekutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteClassic crowd-pleasers, for sure!
DeleteI made thirteen dozen cookies in one day last Christmas. My favorites were the white chocolate cranberry ones and gooey butter cookies.
ReplyDeleteIN ONE DAY? You are the Cookie Queen, my friend!
DeleteForgot me email address. patwalkerp(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love ginger and molasses cookies. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeletesalvatoresmom71(at)yahoo(dot)com
I'm drooling!
DeleteI love cozy mysteries and tea and cookies or scones. I enjoy going to church fairs where they have Christmas cookies for sale, as ginger and fruit ones. Debbie Wroblewski email jsister98@Gmail.com. This book be perfect for reading in Christmas in July.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winner, Vicki aka DaisyDilly! Thanks to all of you for sharing your cookie faves and joining in the fun. Deck the Halls!
ReplyDelete