cookies!

here it is folks- the best cookies ever!

okay now i will qualify that statement. these are the best non-chocolate, non-fruit, fluffy, creamy cookies ever.
i first had these at Christmas time with Chris and Crissie. Chris' mom Mirian Stokes made them and mailed them to Chris and Crissie... and I devoured them! For the past 5 1/2 months I have been craving these cookies. Yesterday Katie and I finally made them.


We had lots of fun with these, but it was a pretty long commitment, especially since we made a double batch!


Here is her recipe:
1 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream (not whipped)
granulated sugar

Mix first 3 ingredients thoroughly and chill for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/8 in thick. (be sure not to make it too thick or it will have problems cooking evenly) Cut small rounds (1/2-1 inch) and coat both sides with sugar. Bake for 7-9 min. until slightly puffy. Cool and put 2 cookies together with filling to make sandwich cookies.

Filling:
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Blend ingredients together and tint if desired.

ENJOY!

FuNfEtTi !!

I have been terrible about blogging. My life is always more interesting with my family around and after I left Guatemala in March the “less interesting life” without them didn’t seem worthy of a post. However my family is back! With them came lots of craziness, lots of food, lots of work and lots of fun!
Josh was bemoaning the fact that Laura might not be with him for his birthday (due to delayed, delayed, delayed plans) so I told him I would make him a cake. Laura saw funfetti cake in the store and demanded that we pick that kind (her favorite next to strawberry) and the store-bought funfetti icing to go with it. (Ewww box cake and icing- I know I know.)

I decided since I was talked into a box cake I would attempt to decorate it to make it fun. So here are the pictures of our funfetti cake (dedicated to Josh.)

*It doesn’t have his name because it’s not really his birthday its just for fun(fetti) =D

markets

After three weeks of bemoaning the fact that I was unable to go to the market in Antigua, as I did not desire to drive there, another CAM missionary, teacher at CAG, and friend, was kind enough to show me one right by my house! I am sad at the wasted time of buying at Piaz (the local Wal-mart) produce instead of fresh market foods, but there is nothing to be done except use my new knowledge! I was so delighted to find this small, indoor, market which was stocked with ample fruits and vegetables that I didn't barter this first time around, being too overcome with joy in simply being there and the much lower prices. I did find two very interesting finds along with my normal purchases, 1. yams (which up till now my family thought did not exists in Guatemala) and 2. mora- blackberries! perfect and waiting to be made into a yummy dessert.
I personally love to eat blackberries with fresh cream or frozen yogurt (from Passion Berri) but here they have to be washed first if they aren't going to be cooked, and that gets sort of messy. So I resorted to the timeless and wonderful blackberry pie with a flaky butter crust. Katie has become the resident pastry chief (making all the crusts for my various projects) and obliged me again in this project. Here are a few shots.


It turned out wonderful, sweet and juicy, warm and delicious.

Summer in January ?

It is hot today in Guatemala, it has been for the past two days. It feels like summer when I wake up, I am hot and blow-drying my hair is the last thing I want to do. It usually ends up in a single braid down my back, which, Katie informed me, is very unfashionable. All I wanted to wear this morning was a cool skirt and a tank top, thanks to a little help from the closets of Mother and Laura =D I found it. As I took the kids to school it felt like a perfect "last day of school" day. You know, that day that you can't sit still in your seat because in a few hours all the outdoors will be yours for three months! Those days when you want to run barefoot in the grass, jump on the trampoline, and play bicycle tag through the neighborhood, and make trips to QT to fill up your 32 oz. slushy cup. That's what it feels like, and its January!
In honour of the weather two nights ago I made, what is in my mind, the most classic summer dessert. Strawberry Shortcake. (Upon hearing this Lydia asked if a picture of Strawberry Shortcake was going to be on a cake-ha!) It was sublime. Fresh strawberries sweetened with a light dusting of sugar, home-made shortcake (not angel food or pound but the real shortcake), and freshly made whipped cream. We finished it in one night, with large help from David and Katie! Here are some pictures...

Here is the delightfully easy recipe for the shortcake (I think the rest is pretty self explanitory!)
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
sift all together in a bowl,

cut in
1/2 c. butter
until it resembles course crumbs...like making any other pastry

Mix
1 beaten egg
2/3 c. light cream
Add: to the crumb mixture

bake at 450 for 15 min. in a slightly greesed round cake pan.
let cool 5 min. before cuting in half. butter the bottom layer then pile on the strawberries and whipped cream!