Mary Spooner oversaw a Cookie Camp recently at the newly-opened Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse.

Spooner, who explained that her mother had helped to inspire her love for cooking — especially baking, headed the cookie-making class for a small group.

Attendees did everything from making buttercream frosting for Christmas cutouts that they later decorated to baking another five varieties, including plenty containing two Ohio favorite ingredients: chocolate and peanut butter.

Spooner gave attendees a packet of some of her personal favorite recipes, which include nut tarts; Rice Krispies treats; no bakes in both chocolate and peanut butter, of course; easy squares, which are a sheet pan bar containing fruit filling; and lemon tarts.

Jane Hackathorn of Columbiana rolls dough into balls for insertion into tart pans at the Columbiana County Seniors’ Cookie Camp Tuesday. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

Although they didn’t tackle chocolate chip cookies, attendees discussed their most frustrating challenges off the Toll House chip recipe wrapper –specifically that they spread so flat.

Spooner explained that she eventually had that problem too until she found another recipe she preferred and abandoned that one.

The secret, she explained, was tied to the butter. In this recipe, which calls for 1 cup of butter, she microwaves it for 40 seconds before adding her other ingredients as called for in that specific recipe, which is attached to this article.

She also included some for her family’s favorite cookies of hers and seasonal favorites, like pumpkin and gingerbread man cookies as well as a spritz bar cookie.

While she has loved to bake since a teenager, there are some cookies too ambitious even for her to try. For example, although she has attempted them in the past, Spooner doesn’t make clothespin cookies as they are so time consuming and work intensive.

Cookie instructor Mary Spooner explains how a double boiler works during her Cookie Camp Tuesday at the Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse. Double boilers are near to impossible to find these days; however, she explained that one could get the same result by inserting a mixing bowl over boiling water in a saucepan like this on the stove top. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

She also doesn’t do pizzelles, as she doesn’t have the proper equipment to give those a try.

Her family like her chocolate chip cookies as well as both her chocolate and peanut butter no-bakes especially.

She explained that it wasn’t unusual in the past for her to make 24 different varieties for the holiday; however, she has cut that number way back these days.

“I used to start making my list of Christmas cookies right after Thanksgiving as a teenager and start baking shortly after,” Spooner added.

However, she has scaled her cookie production way back. For example, in 2025, Spooner probably will just stick to eight different varieties for her cookie boxes.

Sisters Patty Fowler and Kathy Harden, both of Columbiana, frost Christmas cutouts Tuesday during Cookie Camp at the Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse. During the two-hour session, attendees learned the proper way to make more than a dozen different varieties of cookies for their holiday parties. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

As her students prepared their cookies during the camp, she told them that with cookies, smaller is generally better.

“I wanted to give them recipes that were versatile,” citing the example of the tarts that could be filled with either fruit filling, cream or even caramel.

This was just one of the recent events hosted at the Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse at 145 S. Vine Street in Columbiana. Their complete activity calendar can be accessed through their Facebook page and includes dates for weekly BINGO, Euchre and just drop-ins to enjoy fellowship while sipping coffee or assembling puzzles.

TEMPTATION COOKIES

1 egg

Kathy Hardin of Columbiana frosts a Christmas cutout during Tuesday’s Cookie Camp held at the Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse. Members gathered for a two-hour class learning how to make more than a dozen different type of holiday cookies. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 t. Salt

At left, Patty Fowler mixes frosting for Christmas cutout cookies with the assist from Jane Hackathorn. Both women, who hail from Columbiana, were in attendance at a Cookie Camp held Tuesday at the Columbiana County Seniors’ clubhouse, where they learned a variety of recipe tips in regards to making seasonal cookies. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

1 1/2 t. Vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 t soda

48 Miniature peanut butter cups

– Beat together peanut butter, sugars and butter.

– Add one egg and vanilla before continuing to beat.

– Stir in dry ingredients.

– Shape into 48 equal balls.

– Place into tart pans.

– Bake 375 degrees F for eight to 10 minutes.

– Immediately press in unwrapped mini peanut butter cups into top of each cookie until only top shows.

– Cool completely, removing from pans, using butter knife blade if necessary.

SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUTS

4 1/2 c. Flour

1 1/2 c. Sugar

3/4 t. Salt

1 1/2 t. Baking soda

3 t. Cream of tarter

1 1/2 c. butter

3 eggs, beaten

6 T. Milk

1 T. Vanilla

– Wrisk together first five ingredients.

– Cut in butter as like pie dough.

– Combine eggs, milk and vanilla.

– Add to dry mixture.

– Beat until smooth.

– Roll 1/4 inch thin on floured surface.

– Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.

– Place onto a greased baking sheet.

– Bake 35 degrees F for 10 minutes.

– Cool and decorate as desired

– BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE: 1/2 c. Butter, 3 c. Powdered sugar, 1/4 t. Salt. 1 T. vanilla, 2-3 T. Milk. Cream butter and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar using just enough milk to make consistency spreadable. Beat in vanilla.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 c. Butter

1 c. Sugar

1/2 c. Brown sugar

2 t. Vanilla

2 eggs

3 c. Flour

1 t. Baking soda

1/2 t. Salt

1 12oz. Bag of chocolate chips

– Microwave the butter for 40 seconds.

– Beat in sugars until creamy.

– Add vanilla and eggs, beating until just incorporated.

– Add dry ingredients, mixing until crumbs form.

– Add chips and use your hands to bring together to form a dough.

– Divide into 48 balls.

–

Place on an uncreased baking sheet.

– Bake 350 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes. Do not overtake. Cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes.