Celebrating a Book Birthday with a Special Recipe!

Jan here, announcing a first for me: my first novella!

You can order this book here!

It is such a privilege to be part of this collection from Bethany House along with Leslie Gould and Kate Lloyd! Christmas stories are so much fun to write, and I found that I do love writing novellas. I hope to do more in the future!

My story in this collection is "An Amish Christmas Recipe Box." Ada, a shy girl who loves to bake the items she sells in the family furniture store, has her heart set on Amos, one of her father's employees. The problem? Amos doesn't seem to notice that she exists. Then Ada's outgoing sister comes up with a plan - The Great Cookie Campaign! Even though Rose's plans rarely work the way she thought they would, Ada agrees. Together they come up with four favorite cookie recipes for Ada to make for the furniture store's employees in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, culminating in a very special recipe for Christmas Eve.

Will the plan work? You'll have to read the book to find out!

But you don't have to wait to find out what Ada's special recipe was, because I'm going to share it with you now. Who knows? Perhaps this will become your family's favorite Christmas cookie!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

(Ben's Favorite)

Mix together in a small bowl:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground almonds, or commercial almond meal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together in a medium bowl:

3/4 cup butter, softened (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat into the butter/sugar mixture until fluffy:

1 egg

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well.

Form the dough into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for twelve minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, then quickly and gently press your thumb into each cookie to make a depression. Put a scant 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam (or other red jam or jelly) into the depression.

Return the cookie sheet to the oven for another 5 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack.

Makes two dozen.

In other news, we're settling into our new home. By this time next week, we'll be bringing home our new corgi puppy, Jack, and the place will be complete!

There's nothing like preparing for a new puppy!

Jan Drexler spent her childhood dreaming of living in the Wild West and is now thrilled to call the Black Hills of South Dakota her home. When she isn’t writing she spends much of her time satisfying her cross-stitch addiction or hiking and enjoying the Black Hills with her husband of more than thirty-seven years.