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Staff assistants from the The Mature Worker Program completed a seven week workshop

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Solomon/Plains Jr. High School participates in Marywood honors band

<p>LAFLIN &#8212; Sporting a foam costume that made her look like a huge walking snowflake, Kellie Cookus introduced her party guests, one by one, and had them describe the cookies each of them had baked.</p><p>The rule was, everyone had to bring a different variety to the Cookie Exchange she hosted in her home on Monday evening.</p><p>&#8220;My Cool Whip Cookies are so easy,&#8221; family friend Libby Kirkutis of Mountaintop said. &#8220;You mix 8 ounces of Cool Whip, 2 eggs and a cake mix, any kind you want to use.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I took a recipe for Italian cookies and instead of the anisette I put in pineapple flavor,&#8221; LynnMarie Shedlock of Plains Township said, describing her recipe for Pina Colada Cookies.</p><p>But not every cookie story was smooth.</p><p>Rebecca Ritsick of Forty Fort said she experimented with S&#8217;mores Cookies, but the graham cracker cereal got so soggy and the melted marshmallows got so sticky that she abandoned that plan and made pumpkin cookies, which turned out well.</p><p>A student majoring in speech pathology at West Chester University, Ritsick said when she was at school, it didn&#8217;t feel like Christmas, but when she got home and set aside an 8-hour baking day, she started to feel the spirit. &#8220;I made thousands, easily,&#8221; she said.</p><p>For the party, she needed 11 dozen because each participant was supposed to bring enough cookies so that each of the 20 guests can take home a bag of six cookies. You also contribute one dozen to a snacking table.</p><p>Guests were encouraged to wear Christmas sweaters, ugly or otherwise, and they suspected their hostess would come up with something suitably snazzy, based on her appearance last time around.</p><p>&#8220;I was &#8216;Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer&#8217; last year,&#8221; Cookus said. &#8220;I had rollers in my hair and hoof prints on my back.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Kellie always makes it fun,&#8221; said Samantha Bovolick of Kingston.</p><p>Cookus has hosted the party for several years, carrying on a tradition from her mom, Louise Cookus.</p><p>Over the years, Louise said, she may have participated in at least 40 cookie exchanges. For this one, she made cinnamon cookies called snickerdoodles. &#8220;They&#8217;re tried and true,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And if I don&#8217;t make them the kids will complain.&#8221;</p><p>Speaking of kids, one of Kellie Cookus&#8217; 8-year-old twins, Morgan, showed off a plate of roll-out cookies she had decorated with colorful candies. The family had also rustled up some red velvet cookies, made with a red velvet cake mix, and a traditional cookie made of honey and fried dough.</p><p>If you&#8217;re in the mood for some baking, here are the recipes Nicole Reeves of Exeter used for her Root Beer Float Cookies and LynnMarie Shedlock used for her Pina Colada Cookies.</p><p><strong>NICOLE REEVES&#8217; </strong></p><p><strong>ROOT BEER FLOAT COOKIES</strong></p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>&#190; cup softened salted butter</p><p>&#190; cup light brown sugar</p><p>&#188; cup sugar</p><p>1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix (do not prepare)</p><p>2 eggs</p><p>1 teaspoon root beer concentrate</p><p>2 &#188; cups flour</p><p>1 teaspoon baking soda</p><p>1 &#189; cups white chocolate chips</p><p>Instructions: Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in instant vanilla pudding mix, mix well. Add eggs and root beer concentrate, mix well; add flour and baking soda, mix well. Stir/fold in white chocolate chips. Roll into 1&#189;-inch balls and place on greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet.</p><p>Bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. Makes approximately three dozen cookies.</p><p>***</p><p><strong>LYNN MARIE SHEDLOCK&#8217;S</strong></p><p><strong>PINA COLADA COOKIES</strong></p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>1/2 pound butter, softened</p><p>1/2 cup sugar</p><p>6 eggs</p><p>2 teaspoons pineapple extract (King Arthur Flour website)</p><p>4 cups all-purpose flour</p><p>4 teaspoons baking powder</p><p>Directions</p><p>1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.</p><p>2. Drop teaspoon sized balls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.</p><p><strong>Icing</strong></p><p>1 stick of butter &#8211; melted</p><p>2 cups of confectioner&#8217;s sugar</p><p>1 teaspoon of rum flavoring</p><p>1 teaspoon of coconut flavoring</p><p>1-2 tablespoon whole milk</p><p>flaked coconut</p><p>Melt butter in saucepan, pour over confectioner&#8217;s sugar and mix until smooth. Add flavorings and milk. Spread onto cookie top and dip into coconut.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dressed as a snowflake for the cookie-exchange party, Kellie Cookus introduces her mother, Louise Cookus, left, and has her talk about the snickerdoodles she made. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dressed as a snowflake for the cookie-exchange party, Kellie Cookus introduces her mother, Louise Cookus, left, and has her talk about the snickerdoodles she made. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lynn Marie Shedlock, left, talks about her Pina Colada cookies while cookie-exchange hostess, Kellie Cookus, looks on. The cookie-exchange party is a long-standing tradition for the Cookus&#8217; family. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Lynn Marie Shedlock, left, talks about her Pina Colada cookies while cookie-exchange hostess, Kellie Cookus, looks on. The cookie-exchange party is a long-standing tradition for the Cookus&#8217; family. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cookies on the sample table were quickly devoured. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Cookies on the sample table were quickly devoured. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Each baker who came to the cookie exchange brought enough so that every other guest could take home half a dozen of that variety. Many of them came packaged in holiday bags. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Cookies4-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Each baker who came to the cookie exchange brought enough so that every other guest could take home half a dozen of that variety. Many of them came packaged in holiday bags. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_cookies-001-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kellie Cookus&#8217; friends wait expectantly for the introduction of the cookies at Cookus&#8217; cookie exchange party on Monday evening. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_cookies-001-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Kellie Cookus&#8217; friends wait expectantly for the introduction of the cookies at Cookus&#8217; cookie exchange party on Monday evening. </caption4><photoCredit4>Mary Therese Biebel | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Friendly event ensures every guest a variety of sweet treats</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

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Friends gather for cookie exchange party in Laflin; take home dozens of sweet treats