When I was a child, my best friend and I walked to visit my grandmother nearly every day in the summertime. A widow, she lived alone in a humble "tiny-house" type of hmresidence near my own home. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, called her "Mom Wilt," because her last name was "Wilt" and she was the storybook stereotype of a mother in addition to being the most naturally nurturing person one would ever encounter. "Mom Wilt" was descended from thorough Amish and Mennonite lines. Her mother and her fatherwere each born into devout Mennonite families, but "Mom Wilt" married a "Fancy Deitsch" Methodist Minister who came from a line of preachers of United Brethren in Christ. She wore modest, plain housedresses every day, sometimes a knitted sweater on top. She devoted her days to housework, baking, and reading her Bible. She never learned to drive a car, and outside of church services on Sundays or a holiday dinner, she rarely went out. Whenever she saw me walking up to her front door, she sat out the coffee cans containing fresh baked cookies and began pouring glasses of iced tea.
I can't make cookies without thinking of "Mom Wilt." I made these Sugar Cookies last night and as I creamed the butter into the sugar, my son asked why I didn't just buy the cookie dough at the store pre-made so all we had to do was slice it and bake it. I gave him a speech about quality, care, self-reliance, and resiliency which earned me a shrug and a few noises in response. I wondered what my grandmother's response would have been to such a question, and I realized she would have been totally confused because even when suchbcookies became available in stores during her lifetime, she had no concept of them because she didn't go to stores, someone did her shopping for her. I imagine if she were in my shoes, she would have smiled sweetly and sent him away with a separate treat while she worked.
"Cheap and fast" is the condition of our current consumer culture. Convenience trumps tradition. But, convenience lacks heart and soul. It lacks memory. Hopefully, my son carries with him the value of simplicity, slowing down, and connecting to the task at hand because he will also find deep connection, not only to to those around him 8n the present moment, but also to those who came before him.
My Sugar Cookie Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sift together one teaspoon each of baking soda, baking powder, and salt with approximately 3.5 cups flour.
After I cream together one cup of butter (NOT margarine) with one cup of sugar, the I stir in two eggs, one at a time, along with one tablespoon of Vanilla Extract, before I beat mixture with an electric mixer until blended.
I alternate pouring the flour mixture and one cup of Buttermilk into the sugar mixture, taking your time and stirring until smooth with each pour.
Place a tablespoon, or larger depending upon soze of cookies you desire, spaced out onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Sprinkle extra sugar on top. Optional colored sprinkles or colored sugar.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Ten minutes will produce softer cookies. Fifteen. Minutes will produce crisper cookies.
By Gretchen Swank
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