Mom's Holiday Picture Cookies

These traditional Holiday Picture Cookies can be used for any holiday depending on the cookie cutter you use. They can be used for Easter, Halloween, Valentines Day, Fourth of July, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's day or any occasion you can think of. You can even create your own custom cookies by drawing a picture on cardboard to use as a pattern. Cut the pattern out . Place the pattern on the rolled out cookie dough and using a dinner knife cut out the cookie shape using the pattern as a guide. These cookies are much easier to make today with electric mixers...for best results I use the "dough hooks" for the cookie dough and regular beaters for the frosting. Small features can be applied to the cookies with frosting using a tooth pick.
SAND TARTS Traditional white rolled cookie for making picture cookies at Christmastime. Cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine with 2/3 cup granulated sugar. Add 1 egg, well beaten,1/2 tsp. vanilla,and a pinch of salt. Work in 2 cups flour to make "Stiff". Mix well, chill, roll out very thin. Cut and bake in moderate oven, 350*F about 8 minutes. Be careful not to brown. GINGER COOKIES 1 cup sugar (granulated) 1 cup shortening 1 cup molasses 1 egg, beaten 1tsp. baking soda in 1 cup hot water 1/2 tsp. cloves 1tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ginger 5 cups flour, or more 1/2 tsp. salt Cream shortening, add sugar, gradually, then molasses and beaten egg. Combine soda and hot water and add to first mixture. Stir in flour sifted with salt and spices. Blend thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. Roll out well on floured board. If dough is too soft to cut into figures add more flour. I use 6 cups flour. Bake in moderate oven 350*F about 8-10 minutes. If the figures are delicate use a slower oven. DECORATIVE WHITE FROSTING Sift together 1 1/4 cups 10x confectioners powdered sugar and 1/8 tsp. cream of tarter. add 1 egg white and 1 tsp almond extract. Beat with rotary beater until frosting holds shape. Cover with damp cloth until used. Add food coloring as needed to make decorative cookies.©

The Spoon

The warm spicy smell of Christmas goodies fill the cozy kitchen as I, now the grown up mommy,
prepare the treats in my home as my mother and grandmother did in the happy place where I
spent my childhood. It is as if I am a link in a loving chain of motherhood. Passing on to my children the wonderful holiday traditions so cherished in my family.
As I work, if you can call it work, for this is different than everyday kitchen chores, I use my
favorite spoon. It is a big sturdy silver plated spoon, very old, with the silver plating worn off on many spots. It had belonged to my husband’s mother who died when he was a young boy.
He always refers to it as “my mother’s spoon”.
My mind fleets for a moment wondering what it must have been like for him losing her like that.
I was grown when my mom died, but losing her was the most painful experience of my life.
I think of how my kids would react if I were to leave them so unexpectedly. They depend on me so much.
Tears well up in my eyes making it hard to see the recipe book. Enough of these sad thoughts.
This is supposed to be a festive time. Whenever I use this spoon I feel so close to the mother-in-law I never met. I wonder if she ever thought about what kind of woman her precious little boy would marry. I wonder if I would meet with her approval.
We are not alike in a physical sense, as she was small and dark and I am large and fair, but her
internal makeup must have been like mine because of our shared love for her son.
I am sorry that she was not able to see what a fine man he has grown up to be. She would be so
proud of him. He is strong yet gentle and so handsome.
My mother and grandmother lived to see their grandchildren and get to know them. I have two
of my own whom I cherish. Whenever I hold this spoon that she used in her kitchen so long ago, I feel very close to her. It is like I am holding her hand and telling her not to worry , that I will take care of her son. I will try my best to make him happy as she would have wanted him to be.
I wonder for a minute , who, if anyone, will use this spoon to make loving christmas goodies
when I am gone. And perhaps feel the feelings I am feeling.
My question is answered. The front door bangs open loudly, interrupting my thoughts, as two little dark haired girls come dashing into the kitchen calling “ Grandma! Grandma!” ©

By Valerie X Armstrong