Welcome to the final day of Cookie Bookie 2009. There are still so many October books to share. If only I had the time to have Cookie Monthie, but all good things must come to an end. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite books to read with young whippersnappers for Halloween. I confess that I own over 100 children's Halloween books, a collection started during my years as a first grade teacher.First and foremost, I love The Witches, by Roald Dahl. 
(If you read his autobiographies, Boy and Flying Solo, you'll see the fascinating seeds for many of his imaginative tales.) The Witches is narrated by an orphaned boy who lives with his Norwegian grandmother. She cares for him, feeds him, educates him, loves him, but most importantly teaches him how to spot a witch in disguise. Beware of well dressed women with wigged heads, since it is a well known fact that witches are bald. Beware the gloved hands, hiding hideous claw like fingernails. Beware the square toe-less feet, the blue tinted teeth, but most of all beware the eager interest in little children. 
(The book is mildly frightening, but the movie is down right terrifying since the Grand High witch is extremely hideous.)
(If you read his autobiographies, Boy and Flying Solo, you'll see the fascinating seeds for many of his imaginative tales.) The Witches is narrated by an orphaned boy who lives with his Norwegian grandmother. She cares for him, feeds him, educates him, loves him, but most importantly teaches him how to spot a witch in disguise. Beware of well dressed women with wigged heads, since it is a well known fact that witches are bald. Beware the gloved hands, hiding hideous claw like fingernails. Beware the square toe-less feet, the blue tinted teeth, but most of all beware the eager interest in little children. (The book is mildly frightening, but the movie is down right terrifying since the Grand High witch is extremely hideous.) For smaller children (or those with a juvenile turn of mind, like myself)....
Shake Dem Bones, by W. Nikola-Lisa, recounts a Halloween party but reads like poetry and jazz music; scoo-bee-doo-bee-doo-wah, yah.The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat, by Stan and Jan Berenstain is full of mischief, misconception, and misadventure, but it's all resolved in the end. 
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams, tells of a brave little woman whose courage is tested by a piecemeal scarecrow. We put on a reader's theatre every year for Family Night with this book.
Miss Nelson is Missing ,by James Marshall, is every grade school teacher's fantasy. Miss Nelson, fed up with her misbehaving students, disguises herself as the witch Viola Swamp, and then heaps on the discipline and homework. 
Did I miss any wonderful kid's Halloween books? Leave me a comment and let me know. And now, a very kid friendly cookie to accompany our young-at-heart literature. 
All children love to roll and cut out cookies, and these gingerbread babies are sturdy enough for the chubbiest little fingers. They're strong enough that you can poke a hole in the top and hang them from a tree which is handy at Christmas time, but don't wait until then to make a batch. The homespun smells of molasses, ginger and cinnamon are meant to be enjoyed in the fall. And if you can tell me a better way to spend an October afternoon than with young charges by your side, an exciting Halloween book in your hands, and a cookie waiting on the plate, then I'd like to hear about it. Now is the time to stop and enjoy. Thanks so much for joining in for Cookie Bookie. I've had about 2000 readers here daily, and I'm still so amazed at your kindness and interest. Your comments mean the world to me. I've got all kinds of fun stuff planned for the holidays, so keep coming back and spread the word!
Gingerbread Cookies Estimated Cost: $2.00 for about 2 dozen
Keep this recipe in mind when you are out of eggs.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
2 and 1/4 cup plus 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teasoon baking soda
1/2 teasoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. In a small, melt butter. Stir in molasses and sugar, and cook until mixture is smooth and not grainy. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. In a separate large bowl, combine 2 and 1/4 cup flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir to combine. Work in remaining 1/4 cup flour. Dough should be like playdough. Roll out to a generous 1/4 inch thick and cut shapes. Bake for about 8 minutes, depending on size of cookie shape. I like mine a little underbaked so that they stay soft. Let cool for two minutes on cookie sheet and transfer to rack. Frost as desired. (I use about 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreadable frosting.)
P.S. I just adore my cakestand. It's perfect for every season. With just a change of the ribbon, it's ready for fall. I'm honestly considering having some made. Everyone needs such an adaptable cakestand.
See you After the Weekend that Pork and Spicy Green Bean Recipe...
It's a bit like the brief business partnership between Donald Trump and Martha Stewart. Who really thought it would last? How can two bull-headed, type A, oldest children possibly cooperate? Trump and Stewart, Chocolate and Gingerbread. Both are fighting for top billing, and instead of noticing their separate strengths, I only noticed their collective failure. It's really better that they live quietly apart. I could have gone away and thrown out the whole recipe, like the proverbial baby with the bathwater, but because the recipe is from Dorie Greenspan, THE Dorie Greenspan, I gave the gingerbread another try, sans the chocolate. This time, I hooked the gingerbread up with a silky cream cheese icing. They fell in love immediately and were last seen thumbing through wedding magazines and picking out names for their babies. I knew true love would win out in the end. For my fellow penny pinchers, bake up Dorie's recipe in two loaf pans so that you have one to share with a friend. Head over the lovely 
Merry Christmas from Germany, our fifth stop on our Christmas Around the World Series. My two little charges have been in a German language playgroup off and on for the last few years. In December, their little group will meet to sing German Christmas carols for any native speakers in the area. Last year they sang to a German transplant who was housebound caring for her ill husband. She was so touched by their sweet music that she joined in with the singing as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She quickly called her mother in Germany and held the phone up so that she could hear the little carolers also. It's a Christmas memory that I will never forget.
But even before we had children, our Christmas tree looked like we had help from very young children. Now at least I have them for my excuse. My gift-wrapping skills are along the same line.
In parts of Germany, a little girl called Kristkind delivers gifts for the children. Like Santa Lucia, she wears a candle-lit crown on her head. With her comes, Han Trapp, a vicious demon who waves a stick to threaten the naughty little children. This picture has nothing to do with anything that I'm writing, except it looks so German it makes me want to say ya.
The tradition of decorated gingerbread houses also comes from Germany. This week, the two charges were invited to a gingerbread house contest and party. My first thought was that we were far too busy to make gingerbread houses and so we were not going. Later I thought we would go to the party, but not bring any gingerbread houses. The night before the party, I caved in and made a quick batch of gingerbread and cut only the facade of the house with a couple of support triangles in the back. 
We decorated the little houses using royal icing and any leftover colorful Halloween candy. This is what you look like when your mother drags you out of bed with curlers in your hair to decorate your gingerbread facade before the party.
I'm telling you, this gingerbread recipe is fast, easy, and super tasty. It rolls out beautifully and handles very easily, plus there is no chilling time involved.
I didn't think this cookie would appeal to me, with sticky jam right in the dough of an otherwise very straighforward sugar cookie. I was right. I'm sure someone out there will like them, but it wasn't me. 
I even tried frosting them with a raspberry jam buttercream, but still..... no, NO, no.