Week 52: Aunt Toni's Cookies

This week I chose to bake my Aunt Toni's cookies.  As far back as I can remember, my Aunt Toni made these yummy cookies. She'd bring them to family gatherings, or she'd bring a batch to my Sito and Jido's house just because. I always loved when we'd get together, and I especially loved when she'd bring along these delicious cookies.  My Aunt Toni passed away a few years ago, and now my cousin Carm (her daughter) makes them.  I also remember my Sito Vicky making them sometimes. I love love love these cookies.  They are so yummy and for me they are very nostalgic. At the very beginning of this blog, I was talking to my Aunt Pat about this project and various recipes that I intended to try.  She has passed along a number of cookie recipes, and she actually passed along this one.  The unusual thing is that she is actually not related to my Aunt Toni.  My Aunt Pat is my Dad's sister (Carter side of the family), and my Aunt Toni was my Mom's Aunt (Joseph side of the family).  BUT the Carters and the Josephs have a long history together.  Many of  my aunts, uncles, and cousins attended the same high school (St. Ambrose), and many played on the same sports teams.  So they all knew each other even before my parents got married.  Additionally, my cousin Carm (Aunt Toni's youngest daughter) cuts my Aunt Pat's hair.  So my Aunt Pat got the recipe from Carm, and passed it along to me.  The recipe is extremely simple with only 3 ingredients: cake flour, clarified butter, and sugar...that's it! Simple right? In theory yes, but I managed to jack up my first attempt at making them.

The "uh-oh" batch ☺

Here's the story.  When my Aunt Pat gave me the recipe we were on the phone, so I wrote it down as she read it to me. When my Aunt Pat explained how to clarify butter,  I misunderstood the process. When you clarify butter you have to melt the butter so that the milk fat gets separated.  Then you skim the milk fat particles out and use the clear yellow oil that remains.  When I made the first batch of these cookies I did the opposite...I used the separated butter that contained the milk fat particles. The resulting cookies tasted good, but they didn't maintain their shape...they kind of melted.  See picture above.  After they came out wrong I reviewed the recipe, and I had done exactly what I had written down.  So I "googled", "how to clarify butter", and as soon as I read the results I realized what I had done wrong.  So I went back into the kitchen and gave the recipe another try.  I am ecstatic to report that the second time they came out great!  They taste just like I remember, and I think my Aunt Toni would be proud.  Listed below is the recipe that I used.
Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup clarified butter
almonds
 1. Mix together butter and sugar.  2. Add cake flour and mix.  3. Roll the dough (about 2 TBS at a time) into logs and then shape into circles.  4. Place cookie circles on a cookie sheet and press an almond into the cookie.  5. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown.
I used insulated cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  Also I tried to keep the circles thin as the cookies puff and spread a bit while baking.

I cannot believe that this is week 52 of this cookie project, and I really cannot believe that I have baked 60 different cookies.  It doesn't seem like a whole year has passed, but I know it has. In retrospect, I have enjoyed experimenting with all the cookie recipes, and I love love love that the people that I hold near and dear were able to enjoy my sweet treats. In addition to feeding "my people" all my cookies, this project has literally and figuratively fed me as well.  Yes of course I sampled all the cookies that I baked, but additionally this project has fed my spirit. It has allowed me a forum in which I was able to share my love of baking, my family, my cherished family photos, and of course my journey with grief after the loss of my Mom.  It is through this blog that I gained some perspective and much needed relief.  I really appreciate all of you for reading the blog, and taking the time to comment or email me.  I treasure all the kind words of support and encouragement that I have received, and I am eternally grateful for all the love that you have shared. Even though I have reached the expiration date of this project, I have decided to continue with the blog.  I am uncertain as to how I'll proceed though.  I still have a ton of cookie recipes left to try, and I'm not usually at a loss for words (shocker right? ☺) so I guess we'll just see how it goes.

My sister Amy and Cookie.

Almost a year ago my good friend and business associate Colleen, called me to chat about the blog and asked me if I knew what I was doing?  I was kind of confused by the question so I asked her to explain.  She responded that via the blog I was actually writing a book about my grief and loss about my Mom. I have indeed decided to proceed with the book concept, and am looking into turning the blog into a book.  I am unsure of the details as I have never done anything like this before, but I am excited at the prospect. It was during that conversation that Colleen also shared that she felt this cookie project was somehow related to my Mom.  After we spoke for a bit I remembered that my Mom's first dog was named "Cookie."  Funny right?  I also cannot tell you how many times I have been called "Cookie" by my Sito Georgia.  When she'd get flustered, and try to get your attention, she had a really funny habit of forgetting your name.  So she'd go through the list of everyone including the dog.  So here is what it would sound like when she attempted to get my attention..."Carmie...Jimmy...Eddie... Cookie...damn it... Chrissy!" I always thought it was so stinking funny when she'd do this.  She of course didn't think it was funny at all.  ☺ I am not sure if any of this information is actually related to the blog, but I think it's at least an odd coincidence. 


Lastly, I want to personally thank those people who have supported me through this project, and given me extra words of love and encouragement.  First, thanks to Dan for finally consenting to allow me to bake a "cookie of the week."  Thanks to Victoria and Ryan for being excellent "cookie monsters" and tasting all the cookies.  Thanks to my Dad, my sister Amy, my "brothers from another mother" Jim and Chris, my Kimmy, my niece Yvonne, and my nephew Ian, for testing the cookies and reading the blog. Thanks to the Phillips family for being my "test audience",  and specifically to Sheila Phillips for telling anyone who'd listen that I am "a beautiful writer."  Thanks to Colleen Mondor for planting the seed about the book, and for almost committing a felony while eating my cookies.  Thanks to my Aunt Pat Turri for all the loving words about the blog, and for all the recipes you shared with me. Thanks to my Aunt Ellie Carter for reading the blog and then e-mailing all the kind words of support.  Thanks to my family (Carolyn Joseph, Stephanie Dick, Charlene, Jen, and Dan Sutherland, Judy Caudill, and BettyAnn Peeples) for reading the blog and taking the time to post a comment.  A huge thank you to "my ladies" aka my Grandma Ann,  my Sito Vicky, and my Sito Georgia, for leaving a lasting impression on me, for loving me so much, and for being so damn good in the kitchen. Thank you to my Grandpa Gene and my Jido Eddie for being such great Grandfathers, and for loving "my ladies."  Thanks to my friends Amy Bolton, Kim Blackwell, Jeannie Brnjac, Tia Carriere, Joy Hadley, Nicole Tringali Kempksi, Jackie Loose, Michelle Oke, Dean & Briana Overholt,  Jennifer Reschke, Connie Tolfree, Nikki Nicholas-Tucek, and Nicole Worth, for taking the time to read the blog and encouraging me.  Finally a heartfelt thank you to my Mom, Carmelita Joseph Carter, for being the greatest mother and cheerleader a daughter could ever have, and for leaving me such huge shoes to fill. I love you Mom, and I miss you every single day of my life.  Thank you to all my "Facebook Friends" who commented on the blog and encouraged me to continue.  If there is anyone I forgot please know it was merely an oversight, and please please please contact me so I can include you before this becomes a book.

My sister Amy and me with our good friend
the Cookie Monster

Thank you again so much for reading this blog. You are all "the milk to my cookies!" ♥♥♥