Cindy's recipe for disaster

WASHINGTON - Every four years, in the approach to the presidential election, kitchens across America are busy testing biscuit recipes submitted by candidates' spouses for the Family Circle magazine competition.

In the past four presidential elections the magazine's readers have successfully predicted the next first lady. Hillary Clinton's chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies beat Barbara Bush's effort, and Laura Bush's cowboy cookies triumphed over Tipper Gore's ginger snaps. In 2004 Bush won again with oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies.

In this year's bake-off, the recipe Cindy McCain submitted is a near facsimile of a recipe from Hershey's. McCain's oatmeal-butterscotch cookie entry was accompanied by a note stating that it was a "family" recipe that "came from a good friend".

Michelle Obama submitted a recipe for shortbread with orange and lemon zest and Amaretto. She said it came courtesy of Mama Kaye, godmother to her daughters.

- INDEPENDENT