Ideal Bite

Christmas, 1970s and 1980s. I probably had a bow in my hair. My (2.5 years older) brother was probably wearing some sort of Michael Jordan-worship gear. Mom was probably frazzled, up to her eyeballs in wrapping paper and cookie dough and turkey grease.

But every year, during the holidays, we'd make cookie cutter sugar cookies using the recipe from the old original Betty Crocker cookbook (not all that eco, but the recipe is below, and they are still the best you'll ever taste).

I always loved baking and decorating cookies each year. I adored using Red Hots as the clappers for the bells. Loved putting those really hard silver BB-style decorations on the points of the stars, wondering if I'd break my tooth on them when it came time to eat them.  Reveled in mixing the most-likely-poisonous food coloring into the frosting and watching those initial striped swirls streak through the creamy whiteness.

My Michael-Jordan-worshiping brother? Not so much his thing. In fact, we eventually banned him from cookie decorating (which was his aim all along) after he decided to mix all the colors together and make all of his cookies a mud-like grayish brown color. Brown stockings and sleighs and stars and trees?

Somehow just not as tasty.

-Heather...off to make some rum balls, heavy on the rum...

Recipes from Betty Crocker New Picture Cookbook [copyright date has disappeared], typed as written.

Ethel's Sugar Cookies

• ¾ C. shortening [part butter]
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla (Mom and I like to use ¼ tsp almond instead)
• 2 ½ C. Gold Medal Flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix well shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring.  Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting.  Blend flour, baking powder and salt; stir in.  Chill at least 1 hr.  Heat oven to 400°.  Roll 1/8 inch thick on floured board.  Cut with 3" cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6 - 8 min. Makes about 4 doz.

Butter Icing [For extra richness, add 1 egg yolk.]

• 1/3 cup soft butter
• 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• about 3 tbsp. cream
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in cream and vanilla until smooth. Makes frosting for two 8 or 9 inch layers or 13 X 9 inch oblong.