I love to read. When I worked as a temp, I listened to books on my zune all day. When I came back to where I work now, I sit at my desk and read at lunch instead of going to the lunch room like I used. For a while, I was listening to the Southern Vampire Mysteries Series (Sookie Stackhouse books) on tape to and from work and other books at lunch. I love to read. I have loved to read as long as I can remember. We used to go to the library when I was little, and check out like 20 books at a time. Since I read so much, I decided to do a segment on here where I review what I read. So for my first selection, I am going to review The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murders by Joanne Fluke.
The main character in CCCM is Hannah Swenson. She has gone to college but has to move back to her home town, where she opens a bakery, The Cookie Jar. The delivery man for the local dairy is found murdered in the alley behind her bakery with her cookies scattered around him. In order to help save her reputation, she teams up with her brother-in-law, a police officer, to find the killer.
One thing that makes this book really cool, is that the author includes some recipes for the cookies that are talked about in the book. Though I was disappointed that there aren’t more of the recipes. I don’t remember what kind of cookie it was they mentioned, but I really wanted the recipe and it wasn’t included. It’s a cute story. Very easy read. I have to give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
The main reason I picked this book as my first review is so I could make some cookies and post them here. I made the Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies. This was my second attempt at them and it went a lot better. The first time, I got one huge cookie.
1 cup butter (2 sticks melted)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 beaten eggs (beat with fork)
2 1/2 cups flour (not sifted)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
(crush them with your hands)
1 - 2 cups chocolate chips
Melt butter, add the sugars and stir. Add soda, salt, vanilla and beaten eggs. Mix well. Then add flour and stir it in. Add crushed corn flakes and chocolate chips and mix it all thoroughly.
Form dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers and place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Press them down with a floured or greased fork in a crisscross pattern (the same method as peanut butter cookies). (**NOTE: Totally didn’t see this step, so mine are just regular balls when I put em in the oven)
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack until they're completely cool. (The rack is important -- it makes them crisp).
