First Lady-hopefuls cookie recipes

(The Groovy Baker was selling McCain-Obama C2008ies at the farmers market)

You never know what you're going to find at The Groovy Baker's booth at the City of Poughkeepsie Farmers Market on Friday afternoons.

Last week, in addition to an array of creative cupcakes (this week, my new favorite is orange-rosemary; last week, it was toss-up between the lemon-pignoli and the chocolate- peanut butter ), what did she make but the first lady-hopefuls' favorite cookies.

Lisa, aka, Groovy Baker, had made both recipes and was selling packages of one of each: Michelle Obama's was a shortbread bar with fruit and nuts and Cindy McCain's was an oatmeal-butterscotch cookie.
Groovy had made each recipe to specs and we shared a laugh over the "controversy" about McCain's cookie recipe, which seems almost verbatim as one by Hershey's.

Cookie plagiarism? Say it ain't so! What's next? Lying about weapons of mass destruction?!!

Family Circle's fifth Presidential Bake-Off is always a fun read to see what the candidates are cooking up besides their soap box duties.

I tasted both of them, and I have to say I prefer Obama's shortbread cookie recipe over the oatmeal-butterscotch (I'm not a fan of artificial butterscotch flavor).

(Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookie, left, and Cindy McCain's Oatmeal-Butterscotch, by The Groovy Baker)

Here are the recipes — you be the judge. Take the poll on this blog and I will tally up the votes at the end of the week (deadline is Sunday night).

And may the best candidate win.

Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies

Makes: 6 dozen 2-inch x 3-inch cookies

1. 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2. 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3. 2 egg yolks
4. 2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond liqueur)
5. 1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest
6. 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1 beaten egg white
9. Chopped nuts or dried fruit (optional)

• Heat oven to 325 degree F. Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar.
• Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in Amaretto and zest.
• Stir in flour and salt until combined.
• Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smoothly as possible.
• Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake at 325 degree F for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm.

Cindy McCain's Oatmeal-Butterscoth Cookies

1. 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
2. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. 3 cups rolled oats
11. 1-2/3 cups butterscotch chips

• Heat oven to 375 degree F.
• In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
• In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 degree F for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.