Our first Great American Bake Sale of the season is on the horizon and there is some serious bake sale fever going on in the Cookie Central kitchen!  We are going absolutely nuts with our menu for the day, incorporating some new fan favorites and lots of things you WILL NOT see on our menu…ever!  We are also highlighting some great new recipes using the enormous amount of product the incredibly generous Solo Foods has donated to our campaign. So bring your empty stomachs to:

Oh Yes – These beauties will be there!!

Chocolate Cherry Bars:   This recipe makes one 13×9 pan of bars and can be easily doubled.  I prefer to cut mine in to 20 squares, package them individually, and sell them for $1.00.

• 1.5 C. Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
• 1 C. Unsweetened Cocoa
• 4 Eggs
• 1.5 C. Sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp. Almond Extract
• 1 Can Solo Food Cherry Cake & Pastry Filling
• 1/2 Jar Baker Naturals Cherry Pie Filling
  

1. Whisk together flour and baking soda.
2. Melt butter in a large, deep pan over medium heat.  Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa until smooth.
3. Whisk in eggs, sugar, pastry filling and extracts.
4. Stir in flour, then pie filling.
5. Spread in a parchment lined 13×9″ baking dish.
6. Bake 40 minutes, rotating halfway.  Cool and cut to desired size.
   

Blueberry Cobbler Bars: My 5 y/o made these all by herself!  While she ‘used’ 3 cups of pie filling, there was some confusion about how much filling actually made onto the bars, so the recipe was adjusted.  If you find the filling looks a little thin, use more!

• 3 C. Flour
• 1 C. Sugar
• 1 C. Shortening
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4tsp. Salt
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 2 C. Baker Naturals Blueberry Pie Filling
  

1. Combine all ingredients – NOT the filling -  in a large bowl.  Mix until dough forms. *my daughter found it easiest to use her hands*
2. Spread half the dough in the bottom of a 13×9″ parchment lined baking dish. Spread Blueberry Pie Filling evenly over the bottom layer.  Crumble the remaining dough over the top.
3. Rotating halfway through, bake until top is slightly brown, approximately 40 minutes. Cut to desired size

Brown Butter Butterscotch Marshmallow Bars:
 
Ooey, gooey sticky goodness!  Take the time to brown the butter – it makes the bars!

Notes:

• It takes a while for the butter to start to brown, but once it does it goes quick so keep an eye on it!
• Gently swirl in the marshmallow creme through the batter, taking care to to mix it in completely.

Preheat Oven To: 350
Ingredients:

• 2.5 Sticks Unsalted Butter
• 2.25 C. Flour
• 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
• 1.5 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 C. Brown Sugar
• 1/2 C. Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 – 11.5oz. Package Butterscotch Chips
• 1 Container Solo Foods Toasted Marshmallow Creme

Directions:

1. In a large shallow pan, cook butter over medium heat until golden brown.
2. Pour brown butter in a mixing bowl, scraping the browned bits of the bottom of the pan as you do.
3. Add sugars and extract and mix on medium-high for 3 minutes.  Add eggs, beat until combined.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in butterscotch chips and marshmallow creme. Spread into a 13×9″ parchment lined pan.
5. Bake 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cut into desired size.

Rugelach Bars:  
We made these as bars, but they came out really well when we dropped them as cookies too.  To try out the cookie form, drop the batter 2″ apart in 1.5″ balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes…rotating halfway through of course.

Preheat Oven To: 350
Ingredients:

• 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs + 1 Yolk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Zest of one Lemon
• 2.5 C. Flour
• 1/4 tsp. Salt   
• 1.5 C. Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 C. Finely Chopped Walnuts
• 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
• 1 Can Solo Foods Prune Plum Cake & Pastry Filling
• 2 Tbsp. Milk
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together Chocolate, Walnuts, Brown Sugar, Prune Filling, Milk, and cinnamon until combined.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).  Add eggs, yolk, vanilla and zest. Mix well.
3. Mix in flour and salt until just combined. Gently swirl in the chocolate mixture taking care to not combine completely.
4. Spread in a 13×9″ parchment lined baking dish. Bake until center springs back when pressed, approximately 25 minutes.

So you’ve registered to host a Great American Bake Sale, now your wondering, “What the heck should I bake?”.  Some of the confections you may make will take some time – decorated cookies, cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels.  But not everything needs to be a project.  Sometimes the best sweets are the ones that take no time at all.  Below is a recipe that will cost under $2.00, take less than 15 minutes to put together, and require nothing more than what’s pictured to the left.

Don’t forget to check out the notes that follow the recipe. Have fun, good luck, and Thank You for helping to fight childhood hunger in America!  

Visit GreatAmericanBakeSale.org to learn more.

~

Lemon Crackles

Preheat oven to 375^
Makes approximately 36

Ingredients:

18.25oz Yellow Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
1-2 tsp. Lemon Juice (your preference)
1/3 C. Powdered Sugar (for rolling)

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients EXCEPT for the confectioners sugar in a bowl. Mix.
2. Drop or use a cookie scoop to form 1-1/2″ cookie balls.
3. Roll cookie balls in powdered sugar.
4. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, rotating your sheets halfway through.

Notes:

1. Duncan Hines is a HUGE supporter of Great American Bake Sale – Thrown ‘em some love and buy their mix! It only costs about $1.50/box (where I am) and you also get a coupon in your Great American Bake Sale welcome packet.
2. It’s important that the cake mix is 18.25 oz.  Many are not, so if you use another brand make sure you check the box before buying.
3. Don’t freak out if your dough starts sticky!  The more you mix, the more firm it will get.  If you do, for whatever reason, find yourself with sticky cookie balls just pop them into the fridge for 10-15 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar.
4. Plan ahead.  The unbaked cookie balls (NOT rolled in sugar) will keep in the freezer for about a month.  Make sure to use zip seal freezer bags that are labeled and dated.  Thaw completely before baking.
5. Find some really cheap cello bags, boxes and other various packaging material at Clear Bags

Your bake sale will educate your community about the nearly 15 million of children at risk of hunger in America, it will help Share Our Strength ensure children at risk of hunger have access to the nutritious food they need to live learn and thrive and could very well become a tradition like it has for all of us here at Cookie Central.

Register today to host your very own Great American Bake Sale

Important Dates To Remember:

What: Great American Bake Sale Tweet-a-Thon

When: Wednesday, March 29th 9:00am-9:00pm

Where: Why on Twitter of course!

Why: To encourage people to host a Great American Bake ale in their community

How:

• Follow @GreatAmBakeSale and @NoKidHungry.
• Retweet messages about Great American Bake Sale from these two accounts.
• Use the hashtags #BakeSale and #NoKidHungry in all your tweets.

Check Out This Link For Tweets You Can Share!

What: National Challenge Weekend

When: Friday, April 20th – Sunday, April 22nd

Where: Where ever your little heart desires!

Why: To see if we can get a bake sale going in every state on the same weekend

How:

• RSVP
• Register your bake sale
• Login To Customize Your Online Fundraising Page
• Bake, Sell, Donate!

Check Out This Link For Tips, Tricks and Resources For Hosting An Awesome Bake Sale!

Social Media Bookmarks:

Twitter: @GreatAmBakeSale @NoKidHungry

Facebook: GreatAmericanBakeSale

Hashtags: #BakeSale #NoKidHugry #GreatAmBakeSale #Events4NKH

Tips From The Cookie Lady:

Use A Tent: There are plenty of businesses that would be more than happy to let you borrow theirs. We, for example, use the BJ’s Wholesale Club promotional tent. It’s great exposure for them (as it has their logo on it) and save us from purchasing our own.

Put It On A Stick: Things on sticks sell! Whether it’s a cookie, a brownie or some other confection, slapping it on a stick is a great way to give it a little flare – and a valid reason to bump up that price a bit. You can find lollipop/candy sticks in bulk quantities for short money at your local craft store.

Deck Out Your Product: Each month during the bake sale season GABS has a Take Your Best Shot Contest. It’s a fun way to get motivated and creative with what you make and how you decorate. Color and creativity are also a great way to get people to come to your table, stay at your table and (hopefully) spend a little more money.

 Go Bakeless: If baking just isn’t your thing or maybe you want to try something different, raising funds online is the way to go! Your online fundraising page has endless possibilities from online raffles, to simply asking for donations through email, Facebook and Twitter.

Educate Yourself: Take some time to learn who Share Our Strength is and how they are ending childhood hunger. The more you can share with you bake sale visitors, the more inspired they will be to get involved too. Visit the Get Local Map to find hunger facts specific to your area and see what organizations in your community are already benefiting from SOS.

Visit nokidhungry.org and take the No Kid Hungry Pledge Today!

March 1st – March 31st 

*Win Our No Kid Hungry Cookie Jar*

 ~*~

How It Works:

Tickets are $1.00 and can be purchased online by

Clicking the Donate Now button below and donating $1.00 (or more) to Team Cookie Central

~*~

On April 1st my super cute children will 

Draw the winning raffle ticket out of our trusty 

No Kid Hungry Water Jug.

 ~*~

The drawing will be filmed and posted on our

YouTube channel, here on our Bake Sale Blog,

and heck while we’re at it the Cookie Central Main Site too.

~*~

100% of your donation will support Share Our Strength’s efforts to ensure children at risk of hunger have access to the nutritious food they need to live learn and thrive. 

I love to eat, but it’s not just about the food.  It’s about the company kept, the conversations had and the memories made while sitting down to a meal.  Sitting down with my own children, reminds me of when I was young.  My mother frying chicken on the stove top, NPR playing in the background, the smell of the white rice cooking at every meal.  We were – we are – fortunate.  Sure there were, and are still, plenty of nights full of fighting children, burned vegetables and absent family members.  But as I look back I realize, the majority of my fondest memories revolve around the meals I’ve shared with the people I love.

Picture: flickr.com/photos/paghababian

A Nation of Food

If you can picture yourself in a room filled with tables of food prepared by the greatest restaurants in your area then congratulations, you have officially made it to Taste of the Nation.  This culinary benefit to support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America began back in 1988 as most things do, with a small group of restaurants (25 to be exact) coming together to share their love of food and wine in the hopes of making a difference.  A difference they made, raising nearly $250,000 in a single day!  Taste of the Nation has since raised more than $75million and has blossomed into a nationwide movement with nearly 40 events scheduled to be hosted across the country (even one in Canada!).

Share The Love

Picture: funandfearlessinbeantown.blogspot.com

My first experience with Taste of the Nation was one of glorious overindulgence (as was my second and soon to be third).  I found myself eating things I never thought I would, things I never knew existed and things that I just couldn’t help but go back for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths (yeah, I’m talking about you Wit & Wisdom).  I implore anyone who loves food, GO!  Get a couple of friends, go on your own, rent a party bus and bring everyone….but go.

Find An Event Near You

*Sharing Your Strength* is not just for adults  

Cookie Central’s Great American Bake Sale is creeping up on it’s 4th year and I would like to take a moment to highlight two of the most important people in our campaign – my little girls Jazmin (10) and Mia (5).  From the very first bake sale they have been such a driving force.  From lemonade stands to mini flash mobs, these girls have not only taken part but motivated their friends to help as well.  It’s a true testament to how well even the youngest child can understand the hardships hungry children face each day.

It’s Not Just My Kids!

Growing numbers of children and young adults are eager to help in the fight against childhood hunger in America.  And now, with the help of  Sodexo Foundation,  Share Our Strength has released No Kid Hungry 2 and has embraced Share Our Strength’s mission to end childhood hunger offering a one stop site full of resources, ideas and inspiration for any young person to make a difference.

This portion of the No Kid Hungry 2 website is all about fun easy ways for the elementary school aged child to get involved. Find tool kits on how to collect Coins for Kids, sell Share Our Strength donation pin ups, host a bake sale (my favorite) and so much more.

Leaders Tackle Hunger

This portion of the No Kid Hungry 2 site is perfect for teens, providing tools to build momentum online using Facebook and Twitter as well as great fundraising/awareness raising ideas like The Food Stamp Challenge and (another favorite of mine) The Flash Mob.

As Always, Thanks For Reading! ~ Michele

In & Around Town:

Bake Walk For No Kid Hungry

The Great American Putt Putt

Glow Ball Night

Also Welcoming Back:

North Andover’s Craft & Sheep Shearing Festival

North Andover’s 4th of July Celebrations

Great American Golf Tournament

Online Promotions:

On A Completely Separate Note:

Hitting The Pavement
The table didn’t last but 5 minutes.  The RV lot stayed pretty barren on our end, so we took the show on the road and hustled for No Kid Hungry.  I am a genius for bringing baskets with handles and having this guy as my right hand man for the night was a HUGE plus! Many thanks to Dave for a job well done and really embracing the No Kid Hungry Message!!

I want to note, if strength.org saw a huge spike in hits between the hours of 6-8, it is most likely because I had to show practically everyone I spoke with that:

Swag In The Stadium

We brought it!  Whether or not we made it on the tube is another story… Either way, Team No Kid Hungry made it’s presence known inside and out of Gillette and hopefully we reached even just a handful of people.

Pick Of The Night
At every bake sale I always come across that one person.  Someone who really listens and will leave to make a difference. A chance encounter, during a brief altercation with a man who had been bitten by a camel (blog for another day) was how I met Chad.  Not enough good things I can say about the conversation we had, but let’s leave it at – this guy gets it!  Chad, if you happen across this blog, I hope you make it to Taste of the Nation Boston and can’t wait to introduce you to the hubby!