Then There Were Cookies

And oh the cookies, yes there were.

The earliest memory of cookie baking is through the eyes of a photo. Dad took a photo of Mom with us kids in the middle of the kitchen. We were sitting around a tiny kids table; she was squatting at its side. Our sugar cookie display, partially in progress, partially complete, sat in front of us.

I've no memories of home baking sugar cookies since that photo. So, technically I've no memories of baking sugar cookies (since I don't physically remember, as a toddler, making these sugar cookies).

I do remember my first baking experience. And I do remember it wasn't a pleasant one. It's one where I burned my fingers in the kitchen for the first time. It didn't have anything to do with Christmas, or homemade baking, so I'm not going to write about it in this post; this post is for a different purpose.

Somewhere in "the files" one, otherwise very simple, recipe, got a special twist. It was handwritten from scratch on an index card. It's a cookie recipe for year-round, though it finds its way into our oven & mouths most often during the Christmas season.

Maybe because there's some red in it.

Our family tended to stick to the same types of cookie recipes. Basically we'd be mixing so much flour, so much sugar, some baking soda & baking powder & then there's the vanilla & eggs too, & some other random ingredients which make the particular cookie recipe what it is & not another cookie recipe; essentially having a skeleton cookie recipe. Most of the cookie recipes which we'd mix & bake in our kitchen were of this variety.

It's when we'd attend a gathering that we'd feast on any of these.

We'd still bring along ours when encouraged or requested. That's how this funny story came to be:

We took about a batch to the same gathering, of the same cousins, in probably the same cousin's house. Dad & I happened to be chilling a few feet from the section of counter where the sweets had been set up, which put us within earshot. A cousin of college years, maybe late high school at the time, picked up one of the cookies we'd brought & asked - in general - "Who brought these cookies?" "Who made these cookies?"

Dad & I both quickly, yet casually, (since we were both right there) perked up & responded knowing of the cookies & that they'd accompanied us to the gathering. Said cousin pointed at this ingredient, the red in it, asking, "What's this?" We told them. They said, "Oh. Ok." Popped the cookie into their mouth & sauntered along.

Make some cookies with a little red inside:

1) 2 1/4 cups of this, or for the non-organic, this
2) 1 teaspoon of this
3) 1 teaspoon of this
4) 1 cup of this (softened)
5) 3/4 cup of this, or for the non-organic, this
6) 3/4 cup of this, or for the non-organic, this
7) 1 teaspoon of this
8) 2 eggs
9) 2 cups of this, or for the non-organic, this
10) 1 cup of this, or for the non-organic, this (chopped)
11) AND 1/4 cup of this (diced) the red stuff 😎😋


Mix Ingredients 1 through 3, set aside. Beat ingredients 4 through 7 in a large bowl until creamy. Then add in Ingredient 8, the eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in the waiting bowl of Ingredients 1 through 3 that are already mixed together. Stir in Ingredient 9, then Ingredient 10, & then finally Ingredient 11.

After dropping by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet, Bake for about ten minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool on the tray for a few minutes before removing to an actual cooling rack.

*****

And if we'd not begun baking cookies to munch on through the twelve days of Christmas just yet, it'd be about this point during the Advent season when we'd set aside such time to do so.

These links are affiliate links to Amazon as well as the image link in the top left.

If you'd like to shop my general Amazon Store, click here & Thank You!