If you like gingersnaps, you'll love these cookies. These are traditional gingersnaps at their very best. They're crisp and crackly and a very nice, attractive cookie. When we passed these around, it was all thumbs up.

These cookies are rich in molasses and flavor. If you would like a milder, gingersnap-like cookie, try our Vanilla Gingersnaps.

We're giving away another cookbook. You'll love this cookbook: The Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book with more than 600 recipes, tips, and techniques for better baking.

If you order $25 or more of our mixes today, tomorrow, or Saturday, we'll put your name in the hat to get one of these books. (Actually, we'll use a random number generator to choose the winners from those subscribers who order.) But you must be a subscriber and you must purchase to win.

Recent cookbook winners include Pat Eland of Ohio, Helen S. in England, and Jayne Sizemore in New Mexico.

Did you ever wonder how they cut those bar cookies in the bakery so uniform and straight? Here's how you can do it at home. Instead of greasing the baking pan, line it with parchment paper or foil. If you use foil, grease the foil just as you would the pan. After the bar cookies are baked, use the edges of the paper or foil to lift them from the pan. Trim the edges and discard them. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to mark your cut lines. Then use the ruler as a straight edge and a sharp serrated knife to make the cuts. It's easy once you've done it and it certainly makes for an attractive plate of cookies.

The more you roll and reroll your sugar cookies, the tougher they become. That's because each reroll works a little more flour into the dough and develops the gluten a little more. Instead of rerolling the scraps consider rolling the scraps into a log, refrigerating the log, and then slicing 1/4-inch thick slices from the log for refrigerator cookies. Instead of fancy shapes, they'll be round--but they'll be more tender.

Everyone loves food. For anyone who likes to bake, it's hard to go wrong with bread, cookie, or dessert mixes. If you order today or tomorrow, UPS will guarantee delivery by Christmas-anywhere in the 48 US states. And that's our economical $5.95 flat rate shipping and free shipping over $50.

UPS Ground transit time from our facility to most West Coast locations is two days, one day to Utah and Idaho, four days to most Midwest locations, and five days to the East Coast and Florida.

So we can still deliver for Christmas and save you money on shipping.

Let your friend or loved one decide what they would like to bake. Send him or her a gift certificate. Actually, we can send it for you. We can email the certificate. Or, if you prefer, we'll run to the post office. If there is any doubt about delivery, we'll use priority mail. And we'll pay the postage.

Cherries and pineapple just seem to go together. And these soft, cake-like drop cookies are quick and easy to fix for the holidays.

While breads use yeast--an organic leavener- cookies rely on chemical reactions to give them lift and make them palatable. In this article, we will explore these chemical leaveners and how they work: baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a powerful alkaline used primarily to leaven cookies, muffins, and cakes. Because it is alkaline, it reacts with acids in a batter as soon as it is mixed causing bubbling and a thickening of the batter. It does not require the heat of the oven to begin leavening.

Snickerdoodles have passed the test of time. They have been a favorite cookie, especially at Christmastime, for decades. We've been true to the heirloom recipes . . . with one change-we've substituted butter for shortening. In this vanilla-based recipe, we think the rich taste of butter really makes a difference. Plus we've used plenty of the best cinnamon that we could find. You can still get your snickerdoodles for Christmas.

Over the holidays, we'll serve this favorite cornbread. It's perfect for that late breakfast or a light supper. You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like it. It's baked in a skillet with plenty of eggs so it is almost soufflé-like. For those who are gluten restricted, this is a gluten-free bread.

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