
                               Operation Cookie!
        
        
        
        **What is Operation Cookie?
          Operation Cookie is an effort by hundreds of people across  the 
        United  States  to relieve our soldiers in the Middle  East.   By 
        baking and shipping a package of cookies, you can participate and 
        brighten the days of our servicemen.
        
        **I thought no packages were being sent to the Mid-East!  How are 
        the cookies being transported?
             Since the U.S. Post is only shipping first class  letters to 
        the  Gulf,  Sgt. Bill Sankey of the  2nd  Command  Communications 
        Group  has offered to airlift a planeful of cookies from  Patrick 
        Air Force Base in Florida.  Only packages marked "Official  Pack-
        ages-Needed On Duty" are being allowed out through the U.S. mail, 
        so special transportation is needed.
        
        **What kinds of cookies travel best?
          Small  cookies  without  pointed edges  are  preferred.   Moist 
        cookies  that  will not crumble are ideal.  Most bar,  drop,  and 
        fruit cookies will travel well.  Please do not make peanut butter 
        cookies or chocolate chip cookies as the former will crumble  and 
        the  latter  will melt.  Avoid fragile rolled  cookies.   Cookies 
        need  to  withstand freezing temperatures as well as  150  degree 
        heat.   Cargo bays of military planes are not heated  and  things 
        will freeze.  After being unloaded, boxes may sit in the sun  for 
        awhile, so cookies will thaw or melt!
          Sending  brownies is not recommended.  Please do not  send  any 
        cookies  that contain alcohol or liquor, as they are  illegal  in 
        Arab countries.
          It  has also been suggested that you enclose the recipe,  or  a 
        list of ingredients in case people are allergic to certain ingre-
        dients.   They may also wish to bake the recipe at home  if  they 
        are  fond of it!  You may also send a note of encouragement or  a 
        photo, but that is up to you.
        
        **How do I pack cookies?
          To  prevent  breakage, it is suggested that  you  wrap  cookies 
        "back  to  back" with wax paper or plastic wrap.   These  can  be 
        placed in shoe boxes, clothes boxes, gift boxes, coffee cans,  or 
        any  other suitable container.  Another way to prevent  crumbling 
        is  to  stack the wrapped cookies between two  of  the  styrofoam 
        trays  that  meat  is sold on and secure.   Pack  the  individual 
        containers in a HEAVY, wax-paper lined box.  Foil-lined corrugat-
        ed  cardboard or fiberboard works best.  Use newspaper or  bubble 
        wrap for filler.  NOTE: Do not use popcorn as filler, as it  will 
        attract  bugs!  Shake gently to see if cookies are secure and  do 
        not  rattle around.  Add extra filler at the top.  Tape  the  box 
        with waterproof tape.  Cover packing box with brown paper.   Seal 
        with waterproof tape.  Do not tie with any kind of stirng, as  it 
        will jam on the U.P.S. conveyor belts.  Write the address  neatly 
        on  the  box or an address label and cover with tape  to  prevent 
        smearing.

        
        **Where do I send my packaged cookies?
          Send  boxes to: Operation Cookie, c/o Sub-Trek I,  190  Malabar 
        Road  #119, Palm Bay West Center, Palm Bay, FL  32907.   Shipping 
        via  U.P.S.  or Federal Express is ideal.  You may ship  by  U.S. 
        Mail, but it is slow and costs much more.
        
        **What if I can't bake?
          You  may  choose to send store-bought cookies, but  follow  the 
        above guidelines as to which cookies travel best.  If you do  not 
        wish  to send cookies, but still would like to  participate,  you 
        can send letters to servicemen by writing to: Any  Servicemember, 
        Operation  Desert Shield, SPO New York, 09866-0006.  Many  people 
        have been slipping single-serving packages of powdered drink  mix 
        in  their  envelopes.  Men are required to drink six  gallons  of 
        water a day, and not all of it is fresh and clear.  The drink mix 
        helps a lot, they say.
        
        **When is the deadline for sending cookies?
          There is no real deadline as of yet.  Cookies go out on a space 
        available  basis.  As long as boxes keep arriving, they  will  be 
        airlifted out.  But send your packages soon to ensure delivery!


                       Some Recipes For Cookies That Travel Well
        
        
        Peanut Butter Cookies
        
        1 cup Peanut Butter (chunky or creamy)
        1 cup Sugar (or 3/4 cup)
        1 Egg
        
        Mix  together and drop by spoonfuls on ungreased  baking  sheets.  
        Press with fork tines in an X shape on tops.  Bake at 350F for 10 
        minutes.   Don't overbake!  Since there is no flour in  this  re-
        cipe, cookies don't have a cakey quality.
        
        
        Arlene's Sugar Cookies
        
        1 cup Butter or Margarine
        1 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
        2 Eggs
        1 cup Sour Cream
        1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
        4 1/2 cups Flour
        1 tsp Salt
        1 tsp Baking Powder
        1 tsp Baking Soda
        1/2 tsp Nutmeg
        
        Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat 
        well.   Add  sour  cream and vanilla and blend  well.   Sift  dry 
        ingredients together and add to sour cream mix.  Chill for sever-
        al  hours.   Roll  dough until 1/2 inch thick and  cut  off  with 
        cookie cutter (remember, round shapes travel best).  Bake for  12 
        minutes at 375F on lightly greased sheet.
        
        
        Rum (or Mocha) Balls
        
        2 1/2 cups Crushed Vanilla Wafers
        1 cup Confectioners Sugar
        1 cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
        2 TBS Cocoa
        3 TBS Karo Syrup
        1/4 cup Rum Flavoring or Coffee
        
        Mix dry ingredients together.  Form well in center.  Pour  liquid 
        ingredients  into well.  Stir dry ingredients into  well.   Dough 
        should  be  a  little sticky.  Form into balls about  size  of  a 
        walnut.   Roll  in more confectioners sugar and let dry  2  hours 
        before  shipping.   If  dough  is too  moist,  add  more  crushed 
        cookies.


        Oatmeal Cookies
        
        1 cup Crisco
        1 cup Sugar
        1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
        2 Eggs
        2 cups all-purpose Flour
        1 tsp Baking Powder
        1 tsp Baking Soda
        1 tsp Salt
        1 1/2 cups uncooked Oats
        1/2 cup chopped Nuts
        (1/2 cup Raisins and 1 tsp Allspice are optional)
        
        Preheat  oven  to 350F.  Cream Crisco and sugars in  mixer.   Add 
        eggs  one at a time, beating well after each  addition.   Combine 
        flour,  baking  powder, baking soda, and salt.   Add  to  creamed 
        mixture; mix just until smooth.  Stir in oats and nuts.
        Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at  350F 
        for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
        Makes 5 dozen.
        
        
        Raisin Oatmeal Drop Cookies
        
        Instant Mashed Potato Puffs
        1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
        1/2 cup granulated Sugar
        3/4 cup Shortening
        2 Eggs
        1/4 cup Water
        1 tsp Vanilla
        1 cup all-purpose Flour
        1 tsp Salt
        1/2 tsp Soda
        1 tsp Cinnamon
        1/2 tsp Cloves
        1 cup Raisins
        1 cup chopped Nuts
        3 cups quick-cooking Rolled Oats
        
        Heat oven to 400F.  Prepare potatoes as directed on package for 2 
        servings  (1  cup); set aside.  Cream sugars,  shortening,  eggs, 
        water,  and  potatoes.   Measure flour by dipping  method  or  by 
        sifting.  Blend flour, salt, soda, and spices; stir in.  Fold  in 
        raisins,  nuts,  and rolled oats.  Drop rounded  teaspoonfuls  of 
        dough  on lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.   Store 
        in container with a tight fitting lid.
        Makes 5 dozen.
        

        Cardamom Cookies
        
        1 cup Butter
        2 tsp Baking Soda
        1 tsp ground Cardamom
        1/2 tsp Salt
        1/2 cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
        2 Eggs
        4 1/2 cups Flour
        2 tsp Cream of Tartar
        
        Cream butter and add baking soda, cardamom, and salt.  Mix  well.  
        Blend in sugar.  Beat in eggs.  Sift together flour and cream  of 
        tartar and stir into butter mixture, blending well.  Chill for 3-
        4 hours or overnight.  Shape dough into 1/2 inch balls.  Place on 
        ungreased  cookie  sheets.  Dip fork into flour  and  press  each 
        cookie in crisscross style.  Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes.
        Makes 4 dozen.
        
        
        Gingersnaps
        
        3 cups Flour
        3 tsp Baking Soda
        3 tsp Ginger
        1/2 tsp Cinnamon
        1 cup Butter
        1 cup Sugar
        1/2 cup Molasses
        1 Egg
        Additional Sugar for sprinkling
        
        Sift  flour,  baking  soda, ginger, and  cinnamon  together;  set 
        aside.  Cream butter; add sugar gradually, beating until  fluffy.  
        Blend in molasses.  Add egg and beat thoroughly.  Add dry  ingre-
        dients in thirds, mixing until blended after each addition.  Drop 
        by  spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Sprinkle  generously 
        with sugar.  Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.
        Makes 4 dozen.
        
        
        Gingerbread from a Mix
        
        1 package (14.5 oz) Gingerbread Mix
        1/2 cup Water
        1/2 cup Nuts
        1 cup Candied Fruit
        
        Heat  oven to 375F.  Mix gingerbread and water.  Stir in  candied 
        fruit and nuts.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie 
        sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes. 
        Makes 3 dozen
        NOTES:   Use  raisins, currants, dates, figs,  or  a  combination 
        instead of candied fruit.  Dromedary Gingerbread Mix works well.
        

        Joe Froggers
        
        2 1/2 cups sifted Flour
        1 1/2 tsp Ginger
        1 tsp Baking Soda
        1 tsp Salt
        1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
        1/2 tsp Nutmeg
        1/2 cup Shortening
        1 cup Sugar
        1 cup Light Molasses
        
        Sift together first six ingredients.  Cream shortening and  sugar 
        well  and beat in molasses.  Add dry ingredients and  stir  until 
        well  mixed.   Wrap and chill dough well.  Roll out half  of  the 
        dough at a time to a 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured  board 
        (keep  remaining  dough  in refrigerator  until  ready  to  use).  
        Arrange cookies on lightly greased baking sheet and bake at  350F 
        for  10 minutes or until done.  Cool on baking sheet 1-2  minutes 
        or  until  set.  Remove from baking sheet with wide  spatula  and 
        cool on wire rack.  Store in airtight container. 
        Makes 3 dozen.
        
        
        Cherry Winks
        
        1 cup Sugar
        3/4 cup Shortening
        2 Eggs
        2 TBSP Milk
        1 tsp Vanilla
        1 cup chopped Nuts
        1 cup chopped Dates
        2 1/4 cup Flour
        1 tsp Baking Powder
        1/2 tsp Salt
        1/2 tsp Soda
        Crushed Cornflakes
        Maraschino Cherries
        
        Cream  shortening and sugar.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla, nuts,  and 
        dates.   Sift and add dry ingredients.  Form balls the size of  a 
        walnut.   Roll in crushed cornflakes.  Flatten slightly  and  top 
        with half of maraschino cherry.  Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.
