Happy Valentine’s Day!
One Valentine’s Day, years ago, I made a batch of snickerdoodle cookies and put them in a heart-shaped box for my son. I was looking for an anti-chocolate treat. (Every holiday seems to be filled with chocolate. Not that I don’t like chocolate. OH, I DO!! That year, I had just had enough.) Levi enjoyed the cookies.
The next year, I had forgotten about the snickerdoodles, but Levi had not. Evidently I had started a new tradition! Kids love tradition. There is something special in having family traditions, and we need to make the most of them. Traditions create stability and sense of family identity. They add to our memories and our family’s story. It says something about who we are.
The boy had to ask for the snickerdoodles that second year, but I happily whipped up a batch, loving that he remembered. Now I always think of snickerdoodles for Valentine’s Day.
I cherish the memories my own mother made in my childhood. She has only gotten better at creating tradition over the years. We start building tradition as moms, we perfect the process as grandmas. I am sure of it. You should see my mom’s at Christmas! I wish so much that we could be home to celebrate every year. We live too far away! …but that is another story. Mom is an amazing creative force. She is an artist in everything she does. This year she sent an old-fashioned valentine. It is just a pretty doily and some stickers, but it is so sweet. I included it in the photos of the cookies so I can remember it forever.
Have a Snickerdoodle kind of Valentine’s Day!!
And, finally, because I am silly, a cookie haiku:
A quiet moment.
Snickerdoodle Valentines.
My world, full of love.
Snickerdoodle Cookies 400 degree oven 10 minutes
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups sugar + 1/4 cup for cinnamon-sugar mixture
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, mixed with 1/4 cup sugar (or a bit more) for coating
- Cream butter and shortening
- Mix in sugar, scraping sides to incorporate
- Add eggs, mix well
- Mix dry ingredients, then add to wet
- Use mixer to combine somewhat, then finish mixing gently by hand
- Roll into balls, coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture
- Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, these cookies will be pale, not browned
This is a Martha Stewart recipe. http://www.marthastewart.com/260640/snickerdoodles
Bottomless Cookie Jar 