Kairos Prison Ministry
Cookies for Inmates
Kairos Prison Ministry Needs Your Help: Kairos means “God’s Special Time” and the purpose is to bring spiritual renewal to inmates.Although most of us cannot go into the prisons for Christ, we can help in other ways. Your gifts of homemade cookies, place mats, posters and prayers are a tangible expression of Christian love to a group of people who seldom encounter concern or love in the course of their daily lives. The next Kairos weekend for 42 inmates will be held at St. Clair Correctional Facility October 27 - 30. The cookies, place mats and posters will need to be delivered to the church office no later than 7 PM on Wednesday, October 26.Due to the nature of the prison system, there are some cooking and packaging requirements for you to follow. For cooking and packaging requirements see below.
Cookie Guidelines
Cookie Preparation
The types of cookies that are generally acceptable are: Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Molasses, Chocolate Chip, Ginger, and Sugar. It is very important not to use icing, sugar, or any other type of coating on the outside of the cookie. Do not add any kind of fruit to the cookie.
The Key Ingredient: Prayer
Pray individually or as a family over the ingredients before and during mixing.
Pray over the cookies as you drop them onto the cookie sheets and bake them.
Ask God to use your cookies as a source of His love to shine on the prisoners and staff on the Kairos weekend.
Pray that each cookie brings the inmate, officer or warden who eats it closer to God.
We want every person to become part of the family of God.
Packing the Cookies
Bag thoroughly cooled cookies in a quart sized Zip Lock bag. Place a dozen cookies to a bag.
Suggested Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter
¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
½ cup Crisco shortening
1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
Combine peanut butter, shortening, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda, mix well. Add flour mixture to peanut butter and mix until just blended. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.
Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes until set. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Chewy Oatmeal
¾ cup butter flavored Crisco
1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
Combine Crisco, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix at medium speed until well blended. Combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl, mix well. Add to Crisco/sugar mixture until just blended. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 2 ½ dozen cookies.
Chocolate Chip
¾ cup Crisco shortening
1¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Combine shortening, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl, mix until well blended. Add egg and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda, mix well. Add to shortening/sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Molasses Cookies
¾ cup margarine or shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
4 tbsp molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
In a large bowl, cream margarine or shortening with sugar. Add egg and blend. Add molasses and spices; mix well. Add flour and baking soda and blend. Chill dough 30 minutes or overnight (covered tightly). Shape dough into small balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.
Sugar Cookies
1 cup margarine or butter; 2 sticks at room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Beat together margarine, oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add dry ingredients to margarine mixture. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are light brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes (watch closely; cookies will be dry if they get too brown). Makes approximately 5 dozen.
