Cookies For Presidents Day

Abraham Lincoln's birthday is February 12 and George Washington's is February 22. On Presidents Day we celebrate both. A good way to do so is to bake cookies, of course! Washington was known to like cherries, while Lincoln was an apple fan, so you could go with cherry and/or apple cookies or just bake something with a presidential theme.

I always like to look back at the old first lady cookie recipes that Family Circle used to publish. They're really more about Election Day than Presidents Day, but I didn't really think about this when I put together the list. I'm going to have to change this whole post to being about Election Day and change all the cookies to cherry and apple. Until I get around to it, here are the cookies.

Cindy McCain's Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

The first cookie recipe is often attributed to Cindy McCain. It's adapted from one of the old First Lady cookie showdowns and it is terrific. I believe these cookies are a little thicker than the usual Oatmeal Scotchies.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Michelle Obama's White and Dark Chocolate

This recipe is one of my favorite variations on the Toll House recipe. It calls for half shortening and and half butter, so the cookies have the perfect texture and a good flavor if you use Crisco. The strange thing about his is the recipe was published with 2 sticks of butter and 1 stick (which is 1 cup) of Crisco, so it looks like the recipe is made with an extra cup of fat! It's still floating around on websites, which makes me question whether people have tested it. And if they have tested it with the 2 cup of fat, what are the cookies like?

White and Dark Chocolate Cookies.

Ann Romney's Flourless M&M Monsters are also very good and can easily be adapted as a  gluten-free recipe, which is a bonus.

Carter Family Peanut Butter Cookies

The Carter family recipe for peanut butter cookies. Here's a photo of some I baked a while back which I wrapped around Reese's cups. The Carter family recipe is the flourless one with 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix the dough, shape into balls and mash with fork. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or longer depending on how big you made the dough balls. I need to update the photo with a new batch.

Ronald Reagan's Vienna Squares

I guess I was really looking for an excuse to mention Ronald Reagan's favorite Vienna Squares, but honestly they are not the best choice for Presidents Day. They'd be better for Election Day or Ronald Reagan's birthday. For Presidents Day, you could make them with cherry preserves in honor of George Washington.

Happy Presidents Day! Bake some cookies.