Fish Sugar Cookies à la Husband

My husband wanted to make roll-out cookies for his sister, Beth, who breeds tropical fish. I have to admit that I have never made a successful batch of roll-outs. But I haven't tried in years. My mother-in-law and grandmothers-in-law make incredible cookies so I have had no reason to try.

My husband dug this recipe out of the Betty Crocker cookbook. He prepared the batter by himself and something didn't seem right. So he called me in. The batter resembled pebbles. I asked him if he remembered all the liquid. He nodded. I washed my hands, removed my wedding ring and dumped the pebbles on the dishwasher. I began working the dough. It was sticking, but still seemed brittle. There was no way this would roll. Especially once chilled. If there's one thing I've learned from my bread making is what dough should feel like.

"Get me butter."

He does.

"Two-and-a-half tablespoons, soft, not melted."

He prepares it. I flour my hands and smear the butter onto the top of the dough, just like folding butter into brioche dough. It's wet, and I'm nervous. I keep my hands dry with flour and keep working. As I get the butter incorporated, the dough takes a nice shape. I dump the last tablespoon of granulated sugar from the sugar bowl onto the dishwasher and roll the ball over it to keep it from sticking to the bowl while it chills. Now we wait.

The recipe.
Sugar Cookies from the Betty Crocker 25th anniversary cookbook
1.5 cups powdered sugar;
1 cup butter, softened;
1 teaspoon vanilla;
1/2 teaspoon almond extract;
1 egg;
2.5 cups flour;
1 teaspoon baking soda;
1 teaspoon cream of tartar;
granulated sugar.

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in other ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.

Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet lightly. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shape. Sprinkle with sugar. (Decorate?) Bake seven to eight minutes until edges brown.

Now the question becomes: Will I make colored icing? Or will we just use sugar?

Giant Ginger Cookies

Quick note: Food today consists primarily of leftovers. Homemade blueberry pancakes from the freezer for breakfast. Quiche planned for lunch. My husband has a dinner with colleagues tonight, so we had planned to go to dinner at my dad's but the weather may pre-empt that. Now the cookies... No one else I know makes these, so I do because I love them! 

The original recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens, November 1998. I usually make a vegan version because I run out of eggs by the time I get to them. Timing is everything. Underbake and they don't firm up. Too long and they burn and get too crunchy.

And I forgot the baking soda. So they look like hockey pucks. Oops. They taste good. I swear! And I left the oven on 300, instead of 350 which didn't help either.

Giant Ginger Cookies

1.5 cups shortening;

2 cups sugar;

2 eggs (or 4 ounces applesauce, that's about eight tablespoons);

1/2 cup molasses (I use blackstrap);

4.5 cups flour;

2 teaspoons baking soda (which I forgot this time);

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon;

1 teaspoon ground cloves;

1/4 teaspoon salt; 

Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs (or applesauce) and molasses. Add half the flour and remaining dry ingredients. Then stir in remaining flour with wooden spoon. Dough is very stiff. Shape dough into 2 inch balls using an ice cream scoop as a guide. Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2.5 inches apart. Bake 12-14 minutes. Makes 25 four-inch cookies.

Tuna sandwiches with carrots and mashed potatoes

I poured myself a hearty glass of chartreuse this afternoon. That meant by the time my husband started dinner (two hours later) I had imbibed close to three ounces and was in no shape to make dinner.

My husband used the last of the leftovers from his mother's dinner Friday (carrots and mashed potatoes, with the potato bread) and made tuna sandwiches. Also on the table, between the snowmen, you can see some of the cookies our daughter made yesterday. I think we've all had too many cookies since then. Gayle makes the BEST jelly thumbprints ever.