Missing Sodus
By Melissa White
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mgoodcooke@yahoo.com

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas. It will take weeks to get rid of all the last pieces of tinsel and tiny pieces of wrapping paper. (And when you think you have gotten it all, you find the cat playing with yet another piece. Where does it hide?)

Jake Spencer is home for the holidays. This picture was taken in Iraq. That's Jake in front, third from the left with sunglasses and rifle.

A Celebration cookie recipe:

Celebration Sugar Cookies

• Here are the top four sugar cookie dough requirements:
• A dough that is easy to mix.
• A dough that rolls out easily, is not fussy about being rolled out several times and does not mind if little hands squish and press it a bit.
• A dough that holds the shape of the cut-out design when baked.
• A dough that produces a cookie that remains in good condition for a week or more and can successfully travel to faraway friends and family.

Here is that cookie dough.

Cookie Dough:

• 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Powdered Sugar Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 to 6 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

Prepare the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, vegetable shortening and sugar until smooth and slightly lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until blended, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. The dough will be soft and smooth. Divide the dough in half and form it into 2 smooth disks about 6 inches in diameter. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll without sticking but not so hard that it is difficult to roll out, about 1 hour. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour the rolling surface and rolling pin. Unwrap one piece of dough and roll it out to about a 12-inch circle that is 3/16 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2- to 5-inch-long cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place the cookie cutter carefully so you can cut out as many cookies as possible from each rolling. Use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, placing them about 1 inch apart. Gather together the dough scraps and set aside.

Unwrap the second piece of dough and repeat the rolling and cutting process. Gathering together all of the dough scraps, form a smooth disk, and roll and cut out the dough. If there is still quite a bit of dough remaining, gather the scraps together and roll and cut the dough once again. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges and bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be layered between sheets of wax paper in a tightly covered container and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Note: To make snowmen, cut out about a 3-inch circle for the body and a 2-inch circle for the head. Slightly overlap the 2 circles for each snowman on the baking sheets and press them together. Decorate with the Powdered Sugar Glaze.

Make the glaze.

In a small bowl, stir the powdered sugar and vanilla together with enough cream to form a thick, spreadable glaze. Use a thin metal spatula to spread the cookie with glaze. Let the cookies sit until the glaze is firm.

Choices and Decorations

The basic dough can be flavored with 1 teaspoon finely grated orange, lemon or lime zest, 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. The ingredients can be doubled to make a larger batch of cookies. Colored sugars or nonpareils can be sprinkled on the cookies before baking. Or the cookies can be glazed when warm with powdered sugar glaze and decorated with colored sprinkles or nonpareils. About 2 tablespoons colored sugar, sprinkles or nonpareils will decorate 24 cookies. The cookies can also be half-dipped in melted chocolate, or melted chocolate can be drizzled over them.

From Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans, photographs by Antonis Aschilleos, 2005, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA, chroniclebooks.com

I have heard a lot about having pork on New Year's. Is there a story behind this? We usually get steak, then go the rest of the year with the usual less expensive chicken, hamburger and hot dogs. (Don't forget the casseroles.)

Not a lot listed for events for New Year's Eve, but isn't it nice to have a new beginning every year? A place in the calendar where you can have the chance to try again. They say don't do predictions or resolutions - say they are goals, things you want to achieve.

A fun way to spend the big night before the ball falls - if you have kids, rent a bunch of movies to keep everybody busy. Have a special dinner, go out and get some noise makers and sparkling cider or grape juice so the kids feel like they are celebrating.

One year, I found plastic champagne glasses at the dollar store, which was fun. Hang up some streamers, buy some special snacking foods you usually don't have - be imaginative, make it fun. Get on the pjs and get into the movies you rented. Watch for the big event and count down this year with Regis then break open the bubbly and toast to your new beginning. Half of the fun is preparing for it, so go out and get a bunch of fun things. Maybe the pinatas are on sale from Christmas. Any ideas you come up with, please let me know and we can share them

mgoodcooke@yahoo.com

Whatever you do, have fun, be safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR !

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