Cookies

Mitt Romney is on a charm offensive. He took reporters' questions after a campaign rally Thursday instead of keeping them at bay. He brought them warm chocolate chip cookies for the flight from Jacksonville to Palm Beach, Fla. After he got off the plane, he walked over to show reporters a picture of his 5-year-old grandson, Parker. It was "wild hair day" at school and the grandfather of 18 had to share what had just come into his iPad. "You know how he did that? With Elmer's Glue and egg whites.

I don't want any trouble, and certainly not online. The trouble is, the Internet won't leave me alone. Websites are constantly tracking me with little files called cookies, criminals are trying to swipe my digital identity with spam, and online information brokers are selling the story of my life to anybody with a valid credit card. No wonder there's a ready market for online privacy protection tools. I've gone over four of the coolest, including browser plug-ins that block tracking cookies, a subscription service that helps conceal your possibly embarrassing past, and a program that can make...

When fitness trainer and yoga teacher Bonnie Clancy was searching for a nutritious bar to take to an exercise class, or on a bike ride or hike, she decided to bake her own. "I wanted something to really sustain my energy," says Clancy. She came up with a generously sized cookie made from brown rice flour and sweetened with pure maple and brown rice syrups. It became the go-to snack for her friends and family. Last year Clancy set up Bonnievilles Power Cookie and packages coconut-almond, cocoa-cocoa, and cinnamon-ginger flavors (2.7 ounce cookie for $2.49 to $2.79)

Mitt Romney is on a charm offensive. He took reporters' questions after a campaign rally Thursday instead of keeping them at bay. He brought them warm chocolate chip cookies for the flight from Jacksonville to Palm Beach, Fla. After he got off the plane, he walked over to show reporters a picture of his 5-year-old grandson, Parker. It was "wild hair day" at school and the grandfather of 18 had to share what had just come into his iPad. "You know how he did that? With Elmer's Glue and egg whites.

Makes 36 cookies Mariah Roberts's take on the traditional oatmeal and chocolate-chip batter known as cowboy cookies includes coconut and white chips too. She refers to this as "a cowboy cookie with sass. " 3 1/2 cups rolled oats 2 2/3 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2/3 cup white chocolate...

Makes 3 dozen 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 3/4 tablespoon vanilla extract Grated rind of 1/2 orange 1/2 tablespoon orange juice 1/2 tablespoon milk ...

Makes 25 to 30 Very thin and especially crisp, these traditional Belgian cookies, from Flo Braker’s award-winning “Sweet Miniatures,’’ are perfect beside a bowl of summer berries. Shape the dough by hand or use a 6-by-9-inch glass baking dish to give you the same shape. Refrigerate the mixture until firm for at least 4 hours (or make the dough a day ahead). Then cut it carefully with a long, sharp knife into ultra thin slices. Their thinness is what makes these cookies unique.

Handel and Haydn bassoonist Andrew Schwartz won third place, too, with these chocolate lace cookie sandwiches. He calls them "O Cookie, Where Is Thy Victory?" COOKIES 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1 ...

Members of a local Girl Scout troop got an unpleasant surprise when some of the money they earned selling cookies outside of a Hudson, N.H., Walmart turned out to be counterfeit. Troop leader Dianna Mines, who supervised the girls during the sale, was alerted to the problem when she tried to deposit the proceeds at the TD Bank in Tyngsborough; staffers there identified four $20 bills as fakes. It was not known who passed the counterfeit money. The Girl Scouts were selling cookies to fund a hiking trip in May and a Cape Cod outing in June.

Makes 6 to 7 dozen If you don't have a cookie press, you can roll the dough into hazelnut-size balls in your palms, then press lightly with the bottom of a glass. Decorate as directed. 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon almond, lemon, or vanilla extract, or a combination Colored sugar, sprinkles, jimmies, or M&M's (for decorating) 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.

The white ceramic coffee can ($9.95) with a fitted lid can sit on your kitchen counter and store cookies, snacks, coffee beans, or any little bits you want to keep handy. It replicates the iconic industrial shape, even including the horizontal ridges. Line up a row of the cans and use them as kitchen canisters. They're stylish, practical, and green. Available at all Crate & Barrel stores and online at crateandbarrel.com. RACHEL TRAVERS

Sugar cookies Makes enough to spell out the alphabet or 35 rectangular cookies This is dough for a novice baker. It comes together easily, you roll it out in granulated sugar, and the cookies are very crisp. If you want to spell out Congratulations, start at the edge of the dough so you don't waste any. Afterwards, reshape, reroll, and stamp out more letters or cookies. ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature ⅓ cup sugar 1 egg white, lightly beaten ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups flour Extra flour (for shaping)

You can roll out a sugar cookie dough and use alphabet stamps or the tip of a paring knife to shape letters. We spelled out "congratulations" anddecided not to hollow out the o's and g's so the letters wouldn't be fragile. For a sugar cookie recipe, go to www.bostonglobe.com/food.Sheryl Julian

Girl Scouts from troop 71139 stock shelves at the Maplewood Baptist Church food pantry. By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent Malden Girl Scouts this year raised hundreds of dollars for two good causes through a cash fund-raiser and cookie sales. Troop 71139 donated more than $300 worth of food to the Maplewood Baptist Church food pantry. The troop also donated cookies to a Wakefield group, to be included in care packages sent to soldiers serving overseas.

As the grandmother of two beautiful little girls, ages 3 and almost 5, there's nothing I love more than spending time with my cuties. However, I realized one morning that being around little kids sometimes takes its toll. I walked into Dunkin' Donuts and placed my order for "Two bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on Sesame Street bagels. " Oops! Andrea Brown Berman / Revere

Mitt Romney, even at 65, is known for his handsome face and slim waistline — qualities he likely has not maintained by gobbling desserts. But his refusal to eat cookies made by a beloved Pittsburgh bakery is drawing not admiration but ire from locals and Democrats. At a campaign event on Tuesday, Romney joked with a woman about a plate of cookies on the table where they were sitting. "I'm not sure about these cookies," Romney said to the woman. "Did you make those cookies?

Makes 3 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 2 egg whites, lightly beaten with a fork 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups flour Extra flour (for shaping ) Extra sugar (for rolling) 1. Have on hand a 2 1/2-inch cutter.

Q.There were some problems at my job last week — not my fault, but my responsibility — that required weekend work. My boss said she would work Saturday, and I said I would work Sunday. This morning she called and said she felt bad since I have to travel quite far to work, and since there wasn't much left to do, she would do it for me. So nice of her! Are homemade cookies and a warm e-mail appropriate thanks? I know you aren't supposed to give presents to your boss, but I was hoping homemade stuff could be an exception.