Lanchester.net ...musings of an old nerd

In plenty of time for Christmas, let's modify the King Arthur glutenfree cookie mix slightly and toss in some delectable add-ins for a holiday treat everyone in your family will love (even the gluten-loving ones!).

Before you begin, here are a few tips:

• Cookie baking for me turns out best when using AirBake (or similar) cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• You need a wire rack (or two) for cooling the cookies.
• A 1" Pampered Chef cookie scoop is a necessity of life. :)
• When cooking with liquor, use the real thing (not a "cooking" variety). I'm not a big drinker, so I don't know what a good brand of liquor is. I just try to buy a moderately-priced brand that's on sale.

The cookie mix calls for you to add these ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soft butter - just soften it, don't melt it completely
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water - here's where we get wild! Substitute brandy for the water.
• 1 to 3 cups of add-ins. We'll add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, plus 1 cup Craisins you have first tossed in boiling water for a minute, rinsed, drained, then pressed between paper towels. (Why the elaborate ruse? It removes the extra sugar coating.)

Follow the good King's instructions for everything else. Mmmmm!