Just in time for the holidays…December 18 is Bake Cookies Day!

Dec. 9, 2008 - PRLog -- There is nothing like the smell of home-baked cookies. Whether they are gingerbread or chocolate chip, frosted or fruity, cookies have a way of bringing people together. Just in time for the holiday season, December 18 is Bake Cookies Day, so get together with family and friends and get ready for dessert!

You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to bake cookies. Many recipes are simple and perfect for children and adults, alike. If in serious doubt of your culinary skills, why not go out and buy pre-made cookie dough? Add your own creative touch by turning sugar cookies into painted, holiday bulbs. Then, once your cookies have cooled, wrap them up and give them to friends and neighbors as early holiday gifts.

Check out the following recipe from Sylvan Dell Publishing’s multi-award winning children’s book The Rainforest Grew All Around, by Susan Mitchell, and illustrated by Connie McLennan. In this beautiful book, the jungle comes alive as children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest. Even though we may live a long way from a rainforest, we all eat and use many things from the area. Chocolate, cashews, coffee, coconuts, and cinnamon are just some of the rainforest items that we use on a regular basis!

Rainforest Cookies
Ingredients
2 to 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
1 medium ripe banana
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes
4 cups (12 oz) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped cashews
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
Beat butter, banana, and sugars until creamy.
Beat in eggs and then add the coconut flakes.
Gradually add flour mixture using extra flour if needed.
Stir in the chocolate chips and cashews.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

About Sylvan Dell Publishing
Sylvan Dell Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is on a mission to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math and nature themed stories. Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan Dell’s family has grown to include more than 55 authors and illustrators, in the U.S. and Canada, and 35 titles – honored as finalists or winners of more than 50 book awards. For more information about Sylvan Dell Publishing, please visit http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

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Sylvan Dell Publishing is on a mission to create picture books that excite children’s imaginations, are artistically spectacular and have educational value. The company specializes in “Science and Math Through Literature."