Inspiration, Memories, and Good Eats!

 My daughter-in-law’s blog inspired me…to bake!

I pulled out two old recipes from my childhood and I made them:  Dutch Butter and Janet’s Valentine Cookies.  All kinds of memories came back.  The smell of the butter cookies baking is as phenomenal now as it was 40 years ago when my mother baked them to send to my father in Thailand.  As for Janet, I am unaware of who she was or is.  That is just the name of the delicious cookie!

Many years have passed since then which have left me with more memories and only two people in the household…to eat the cookies.  Here are a few tips I would recommend.  First, never make a full batch.  It will only make you fatter faster.  I made only on half to a quarter of a batch.  That was enough weight gain for one week.  

 Second, do not roll out cookies unless you really really need a shape.  It is messy and time consuming.  Instead, I like using the cookie dough scoop I got from my sister-in-law many years ago.  It gives me a very nice even shape.  I then smash the round ball of dough flat with the bottom of a measuring cup that has been coated in sugar.  It works great. 

To show you how old these recipes are, I have included the recipe card for both.  Janet’s, I made as a teenager.  The butter cookie card was written by my sister for me.  In case you have difficulty reading the recipes in the pictures, I have included them below.  Enjoy!

  

Dutch Butter Cookies 

1 pound butter

1 ½ cups sugar

5 cups flour

Mix.  Bake at 350⁰ oven until just before the cookies starts to yellow, about 15 minutes. 

Janet’s Valentine Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

5 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Chill dough ½ hour to 45 minutes. Roll to ¼ inch thick.  Cut into shakes.  Bake at 375⁰ for about 10 minutes.