Friday, November 19, 2010

Thankful for my missionary



Today I am so thankful for our sweet missionary son who is serving in Sydney Australia.
I am in the middle of putting a Christmas package together for him.  I wanted to send him something yummy from home and so I made these family favorite cookies this morning.

Raspberry Jam Strips
(And here is the story behind how they became a family traditon)

When Mike and I were just a very young couple and Mike was still in school, we were invited to a cookie exchange one year and we didnt know what to make and we didnt have many ingredients nor did we have much money to buy ingredients.
So, we found this simple cookie recipe in a christmas cookbook that we had.
They made 5 dozen cookies a batch and they were so easy to make and delicious not to mention festive looking. They have been a family Chritsmas tradition ever since.
   Here's how you make them.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raspberry jam
Almond Glaze (below)
Mix margarine ( I only use real butter), sugars, egg and vanilla.  Stir in flour and baking powder.  (If dough is soft, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Divide dough into 8 equal parts.


Shape each part into a strip, 8x1 1/2 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet.  Make a slight indentation down the center of each with handle of wooden spoon; fill with about 1 1/2 teaspoons jam. 


BAke until edges are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool slightly. 
Drizzle with Almond Glaze.
Cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces.  About 5 dozen bars.
Almond Glaze
Beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 2 to 3 teaspoons water until smooth and of desired consistency.


I was able to fit a dozen of these yummy cookies in this little box by layering them 3 times like this.
I hope they make it in one piece! 
So, thankful for Elder Nelson and for sweet family traditions!



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