World's Best Sugar Cookies

 
You know how we tend to associate certain tastes and smells with special times in our lives?  Well readers, this is what Christmas tastes like to me.  As a child, I looked forward to helping Mom roll out these sugar cookies each winter.  I always had my own assortment of cookie cutters and decorating sugar to choose from, and I relished each crumb of my creations.  When rolled-out, these cookies are thin and slightly crisp- perfect for decorating with royal icing.  These days, I usually make them with a cookie press, which yields a thicker, softer cookie.

From Mom

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. Stir in flour.

2. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. For cut-out cookies, Roll out dough on lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.  (To use with a cookie press, stuff dough into press and form cookies according to package directions.)

5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 min or until light golden brown. Cool and decorate as desired.

Yields about 6 dozen

Fannie Farmer Macaroni and Cheese

I've been feeling under the weather the past few days, and Mr. Ommy Noms has been taking great care of me.  He's been requesting homemade macaroni & cheese for awhile, and I made it tonight as a "thank you" for all the medicine- and blanket-fetching he's done.  I found this recipe on Mocha Me, but it actually hails from a 1946 Fannie Farmer cookbook.  I enjoy trying old recipes, so I decided to give it a go.  It turned out so good!  I'm looking forward to having it again tomorrow night with some seared tilapia!

I didn't really know what "buttered breadcrumbs" was supposed to mean, so I just double-toasted a couple slices of bread and crunched them into crumbs.

As seen on Mocha Me; originally from the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, 1946 edition

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream (I used half & half)

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese (buy the block and shred it yourself)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).

Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheese little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Turn off flame. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.