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Press play to begin streaming the audio or right click the text link to download.
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[audio:Julia_Usher-Cookie_Swap_Interview.mp3]
Right click here if you’d like to download the audio file [mp3]
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I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but, look at this one!
Cookie inspiration at its finest and without even cracking the cover!
Julia Usher is the author of the recently published book, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year
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To hear the interview click on the play button at the top of this post. You can also download it to your computer as an mp3 file by right clicking on the text link above.
I’m also happy to announce that I will be giving away one signed copy of Cookie Swap thanks to Gibbs Smith Publishing! Details on how to enter can be found near the end of this post.
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Not only does Julia focus on cookies beautiful to look at, but she includes a multitude of unique and delicious sounding recipes such as Rosemary Blonde Brownies, Lemon-Thyme Bonbons and Under Her Thumb(print) Cookies pictured below.
I confess I haven’t actually tried making any of them yet, but as far as I’m concerned all I needed to buy this book were pages like this:
And this:
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You can find Julia’s book on Amazon
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Cookie Swap GIVEAWAY!
Now on to the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Julia’s book, Cookie Swap
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How do you enter?
It’s easy. Just leave answer the following question in the comment section below before 7pm EST on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010:
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What is your favorite cookie to eat or to make?
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Another way of entering the draw is to retweet this post on twitter. Tweets will be added to the draw!
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The contest is international and the winner will be chosen randomly at www.random.org.
Hope you enjoyed the interview and good luck with the giveaway!
xo,
Marian
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TollHouse’s chocolate chip recipe – we all love that.
I love my black-n-white cookies….yum! I would LOVE to win this book!
peanut butter cookies, I even eat them for breakfast!
Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite… but i love a good SOFT sugar cookie too. Just need to find a way to make them soft and still be able to decorate them.
Thanks for the chance to win this great book! I am the cookie baker in our family, so this would be so much fun to win. My favorite cookie to make is hamentashen – I only make them once a year, at Purim, and everyone in the family anticipates them all year round, so it is a tradition, and I love sharing them. Thanks! Michele
My favorite is macademia nut with white chocolate chips and anything with coconut, I don’t have a recipe yet but I will make it my quest to get a good one!
Thanks!
My favorite cookie to make are a simple cutout cookie that has both vanilla & almond extract, mmm. I like them plain or sprinkled w/ sugar or decorated w/ roayl icing…
I love to make lemon cloud cookies with a lemon glaze. The recipe uses ricotta cheese and it makes the cookie so light and rich and delicious.
Anne
The chocolate krinkle cookie. I could just eat dozens of them
My favorite cookie is the “pink cookie” they sell in the coffee shops around Seattle. I have tried to find a good recipe to match this sugary pink goodness, but have not been lucky so far.
Mmm, I like cookies period. I do enjoy oatmeal white chocolate craisin cookies, but am also fond of a good chewy snickerdoodle, chocolate rolo cookies, and a great chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk. yum!
my all time favourite to make and eat – white chocolate with macadamia nuts!
My favorite to make are oatmeal chocolate chip, because everyone at work loves them! They’re easy and they make my house smell delicious
Well I’d have to say yoyo’s a.k.a melting moments or some decadent mocha fingers ( from the Women’s Weekly )…….yummy!
My favorite cookies to bake are sugar cookies because they are simple and classic. I love to cut them out with my large, scalloped square cutter so that each one is a blank canvas – a sugary little piece of art waiting to come to life!
Good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. mmm.
Without a doubt, oatmeal cookies!
I love sugar cookies. It is my favorite because I can decorate it and make it look pretty with royal icing.
I love Molasses Ginger Crinkle Cookies – but made smaller than your average cookie – and rolled in sugar (TWICE!) to ensure a sparkly and sweet crunchiness, that surrounds a soft and chewy centre with ginger punch
YU-UMMY!
My favorite cookies to make are sugar cookies decorated with royal icing…keeps me entertained for hours and love to see the result!
My favorite cookies to eat are butter-almond with apricot or raspberry filling.
I would have to say sugar cookies…mmm I may have to get in the kitchen today!!
thanks for an opportunity to WIN.
Melissa from Naches, WA.
my favorite cookies to make are sugar cookies w/ royal icing. i LOVE to decorate, but i don’t like eating them. i’d rather have a classic giant, chewy chocolate-chip cookie. yum.
My favorite cookie to make are Chocolate Chip Cookies.
My favorite cookies to eat are yummy, homemade chocolate chip cookies! They go perfect with a glass of cold milk. On the other hand, my favorite cookies to make are my royal icing decorated sugar cookies! There are so many cookie cutters and ways to decorate, the possibilities are endless! And colorful too!
I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – always hard to resist!
My favourite cookie to eat and make is the chocolate chip cookie, heaven on earth!
My favorite cookies to eat and make are Mexican Wedding Cookies.
My favorite cookies to eat are the same ones I’ve always loved: peanut butter. Nothing fancy, just simple peanut butter cookies.
My favorite ones to make are sugar cookies with royal icing. Hours of fun there.
Oh cookies
I love so many. But probably my favorite is my great-grandma’s gum drop cookies. I love this cookie swap book. So many neat ideas, wish I need because I have the baking & decorating ability; however, I do not have the creative ideas ability. I would love to win this book.
I love to make chocolate chip cookies just because I love the dough so much! =) My H is a sugar cookie fan though so I make those more often! Your site is wonderful!!!
mmmmhhh cookies, actually I like them more around the Christmas time. Here in Switzerland you normally do not make them in other times of the year…
My favorites are still the ones from my grandma. She died 8 years ago, so it’s my turn to use her old recipes, to bring my childhood memories back
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. But I think I will have to go with the good old chocolate chip cookie.
My fav would have to be Russian tea Cakes.They just melt in your mouth.mmm
My very favorite is a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie- chewy and soft!! But I also LOVE French Macaroons!! it depends on my mood!
classic chewy soft and goooey chocolate chip cookie
Hands down, it has to be frosted sugar cookies. Chocolate chip would be a close second.
Brutti Ma Buoni (Ugly But Good). They are a meringue cookie made with toblerone bars.
REading these comments makes me hungry! I love sugar cookies because I LOVE the sweet, sweet frosting!
Peanut butter blossoms! Chocolate + peanut butter = delicious!!
Oh I so want that book……I hope that Random thing picks me. I love shortbread cookies.
Anything with Peanut Butter and Chocolate!
I absolutely love triple chocolate cookies!! Just load on the chocolate – the more the better and sinful!
I love to eat shortbread cookies, dipped in milk chocolate & sprinkled with almonds.
I love making chocolate chip cookies & triple chocolate cookies whenever i’m feeling especially chocolately!:) As to what i love eating, MACARONS! hands down. I seperated it from the ones i love making because sadly, i haven’t gotten around to try making them myself yet.
Hopefully i can soon though! 
I’d love to win!
I think my new favourite cookie is going to be a Chocolate Rolo…..I had a nibble of one yesterday and am dying to make them now….ummmm yeppers I think I will do that today. Would love the book, waiting for this contest is killing me cause I want to go and buy it!
Since the book is called Cookie Swap and everyone has been raving about their favourite cookies, maybe recipes should be provided and there you would have a really great cookie swap! I would love this….wouldn’t you?
Chocolate chip will always be my fav.
My favorite cookie to eat is a warm chocolate chip cookie, a few minutes after they come out of the oven, and you can’t beat the Nestle Toll House recipe…in my opinion.
This book is beautiful, I absolutely love the beach bags!
Chocolate Ginger Cookies are on the top of my list.
Chocolate chip cookies, really, really crisp from the Pillsbury dough cookie tub of dough….love them small too! Want that book, it looks darling!