Rolled Cookies

When we sold the house on Wood Street there was icing on the ceiling above the dining room table that had lived there for at least a decade.  How it got there is clear; it was flung from the end of a butter knife during a cookie decorating party.  Who flung the icing we may never know, but I'm pretty sure it was my brother.

My mother has been making these cookies every year for as long as I can remember, and inviting people to come and decorate them in parties big and small.  When we were little there were neighborhood friends.  As we grew older there were times we were gone but the neighborhood friends still came.  My parents invited their friends.  In our young adulthood we invited new friends from far and wide.  Then we had kids.  Friends, new and old, brought their kids and cookie decorating parties got pretty wild, although I can't say anymore icing was flung. 

The snow today was very auspicious, as it afforded me an opportunity to stay home and get some work done as well as make some Valentine's Day cookies for the kids in my class.  I got out the old family recipe binder that my mother made me twenty years ago and ventured out to buy the ingredents.  I remembered her telling me that there was a problem with the recipe.  I gave her a call.  The recipe calls for 1 pkg of free flowing brown sugar.  It turns out that in the old days, a package was a pound.  Now, it's 14 oz.  We discussed what difference it would make in the recipe and came to the conclusion that since we slather the cookies in sugery icing a bit less sugar wouldn't matter.

I love hearing the sound of my mother's voice and I am always happy to have an excuse to call her up.  These cookies are most definitely an icon of the powerful love that flows through our family, sweet and dependable and occasionally excessive.  Bake them at Christmas or Valentine's Day or some other special occasion- enjoy.

1pkg free-pouring brown sugar
1t salt
1/2 lb margarine
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
1t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon

Mix sugar, salt and butter.  Beat in eggs and extract until light and fluffy.  Blend dry ingredients in gradually. Chill well.  Roll 1/8 in thick.  Cut and place on ungreased sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.