permission to dine: cookies that will make EVERYONE love me forever
Monday, November 16 
I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, so this time I’m pulling out the big guns. It’s a favorite from my cookie archives that I make during the holiday season. Truthfully, these lovelies are fat and sugar held together by a bit of flour, but I need to tell you that I’m completely against the idea of diet cookies.
I was reading an article in More magazine (a magazine for “mature” women over 40) the other day, and came across a feature titled “Cookies for Grown Ups.” It contained recipes with less fat and sugar. Cause WOW, nothing makes me want to be a Grown Up more than eating cookies made with lame, stingy ingredients.
I don’t know about you, but I call cookies with less fat and sugar wafers. Or crackers maybe. They are platforms for all the yummy shit you pile on top before parking them in your mouth.
Anyway, this cookie recipe is for ALL cookie lovers. It does not discriminate. It’s from one of those church fundraiser cookbooks where everyone in the congregation sends in a recipe and they bind it into a book. My ex-mother-in-law from northern Minnesota gave it to me.
Have you ever been to northern Minnesota? It just might be the Hot Dish capital of the world. They should have their own Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup factory there. Besides this to-die for sugar cookie recipe, my cookbook contains 34 Hot Dish recipes. With that you could Hot Dish every night of the month. So if you, dear reader, need a recipe for Chow Mein Noodle Hot Dish, Pizza Noodle Bake, Shrimp Hot Dish, Chicken Squares or misplaced that old family favorite — Sauerkraut Hot Dish — write to me and I’ll hook you up.
I remember once after traveling to northern Minnesota (which takes approximately forever, no matter where you’re driving from), I decided to hit a grocery store deli for lunch after too much bloaty road food. I thought I might find some nice pre-made salads to cleanse the pipes. What I found was little clear pint-sized containers of chilled concoctions clearly in the Hot Dish family, whose main ingredients appeared to be the Cream of Mushroom base mixed with ground beast, onions, then topped with tater tots and cheese product.
And honestly, you can’t mess with that — I’ve never seen anyone attempt to pass off Hot Dish for Grown Ups. I personally have a warm spot in my heart for green bean casserole topped with little Durkee fried onions at a holiday meal. But I digress, here’s that recipe, with all the yummy goodness you and those you love to make cookies for deserve.
Cut Out Cookies
1 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Cream together all ingredients except for flour. Add 2 cups of flour to mixture. Add other 1/2 cup flour if needed. Roll and cut out. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Icing
3 oz. cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
enough milk to be spreadable
Cream the butter and cream cheese together, then add powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, then slowly add the milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.
*Adapted from the “Centennial Cookbook” assembled by Hope Community Presbyterian Church of Virginia, Minnesota.
End Note: Umm, hi. More magazine? Is that really an apt title? Cause when I turned to your recipe I was thinking MORE, as in, MORE fat and sugar because I’m OLDER now and I want cookies even MORE than I did when I was younger to help me forget the fact that I’m cranky and not hot like the women on your pages.
And guess what else? Notice to my sons: When it’s your turn to change my dipe, I’ll still want my cookies and be a total asshat if you try to feed me fakes.
Reader Comments (6)
Oh Megan, you crack me up. Yeah, wtf with the low fat cookies? If you don't want fat and sugar, don't eat a cookie. Eat a carrot. That's the whole point of cookies.
Love the new cookies. I plan to make them for christmas cookie plates for our church next month. Funny how my hubby grew up not to far from Virginia and that is where I go shopping with his sister. And yes it is the hot dish capital of the world. I would like the chow mein noodle hot dish could come in handy for a church supper.
Melynda: Amen.
SDA: If you really want the Chow Mein Noodle Hot Dish recipe, I'll get it to you! The idea of Sauerkraut Hot Dish frightens me. And I don't scare easily.
Oh the evil thoughts going through my head at the idea of Sauerkraut Hot Dish. Hehehehe.
Those cookies? With icing???? Wow.
I'm with you on MORE.
There is another cook book that is all casserole dishes, wich I think is the word for Hot Dish if you are not from anywhere near MN. (and nothing is near MN, so there you go) Anyhooo, this cookbook is awesome, its all comfort food and not afraid of butter. I am going to try these cookies right away because I noticed there was some butter in them. Maybe we will have them for desert right after we have some hot dish.
FaveAuntie: Lets just say my mom and I should NOT be allowed to eat sauerkraut...
Pooknelle: It makes me all happy to think of the little boys snacking on these cookies. I probably don't have to tell you this, but choose carefully on the Hot Dish recipes :)