Why freedom fails . . .

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, [and] which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and [which] insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

(Source: Bernard C. Steiner, The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry (Cleveland: The Burrows Brothers, 1907), p. 475. In a letter from Charles Carroll to James McHenry of November 4, 1800.)

Baking and Memories . . .

 I was telling my husband about a cookie my mother and I used to make at Christmas time. It wasn't a particularly pretty cookie but the various ways to make it as well as the browned butter icing has people reaching for them more often than the fancier ones. I couldn't find my worn recipe paper on this so took my chances with a Google search and was surprised to find many variations of basically the same sort of cookie . . . but not quite. I looked over the versions I found and finally pieced together how I remembered them being made . . . and made them today!

Jubilee Jumbles
1/2 cup solid shortening
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup toasted and finely ground walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat to combine. Add the evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Thoroughly mix in the dry ingredients and the walnuts. The dough should be soft but will hold it's shape.

Scoop out generous teaspoonfuls of the dough and place about an inch to an inch and a half apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until barely golden and set.

Browned Butter Icing
1 stick butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Very carefully cook the butter in a small pot until it just starts to brown and immediately remove it from the heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until you get a thick glaze you can brush on your cooled cookies. You can decorate the tops with colorful sprinkles, bits of  candy, ground nuts, etc.

Suggestions:
Don't care for walnuts? You can stir in 1/2 cup chopped raisins.
Want to go tropical? Add 1 cup toasted coconut and 1/2 cup dried pineapple, diced.
Want variety? Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup tiny chocolate chips.

A Thought from Fulton J. Sheen

“Every man is on a cross. Some ask to be taken down like the thief on the left; others ask to be taken up like the thief on the right.” ~Ven. Fulton J. Sheen

Linzer Torte Cookies!

 I went into my German heritage for baking my first batch of Christmas cookies today. One of my favorite combinations is almond and raspberry and that is the popular duo of the Linzer Torte Cookie.

After years of making sandwich-type cookies, I finally figured out how to make the tops and bottoms of the sandwich come out evenly - I cut the dough in half and weighed them to make sure they were even. I also second-guessed myself by keeping track of how many of each were made. I'm losing my haphazard bad habits in my old age!

The recipe was simple but the taste is outstanding - in my humble opinion!

Linzer Torte Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups toasted and finely ground almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Filling:
Seedless Raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Add the flour, almonds, and spices. Mix the dough as much as you can with a spoon or knead to gather it together by hand.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/4th inch thick. Cut circles with one half of the dough and then cut out a small, decorative star, triangle, etc. out of the middle of the other half (the top of your 'sandwich').

Bake on your prepared baking sheets for approximately 10-12 minutes or until firm and golden around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To sandwich your cookies, spread on a thin layer of jam on the bottom half and then gently press the top cookie into place. You want a bit of the jam to press into the opening but not too much.

To put a finishing touch on your cookies, you can either dust them with powdered sugar or drizzle them with lemon icing. Makes about 60 cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter.