The Cook's Catalyst - Chapter 2

Chapter Two The Cook's Catalyst Keeping the Sugar Plums Dancing All Year Long Our earliest memories are probably about food! Whenever you reflect back on a childhood moment, or mentally taste a favorite meal your mother made, grab the moment. Take the memory one step further and make it a part of your next meal! Serve it with a smile and it’s story. I always remember the letdown after the Christmas holidays. The tree is by the curb, the tinsel is vacuumed up and the weather is gloomy. School begins again soon and you know it will include trudging through mud puddles and dodging rain. You don’t even want to think about homework! My mother made the last day of Christmas vacation special. As soon as the cold began to creep in under the doors, she would turn on the oven and start baking. My favorite treat was her simple sugar cookies. She would cheer up my day by making them bigger than usual, dusting them with sugar before popping them into the oven. She then let me have them instead of lunch. I felt positively decadent! She would set up a tray with a plate of still warm cookies and a mug of hot chocolate. I would watch the noon time cartoons, chasing away the blues with every munch and sip. The ingredients were simple. The love made them special. Stir, Drop and Bake Sugar Cookies 2 eggs 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs until foamy; stir in oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Combine until smooth. Drop by teaspoonsful about two inches apart on very lightly greased cookie sheet. Dough should be rather soft. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on each cookie before baking. Colored sugar is fun if it is on hand. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about two dozen cookies. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. This is also a good beginner recipe for children who want to help in the kitchen. I speak from experience, both as a parent and as a child.