Recipe Memoir
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ENGL-1010
November 26, 2016
Sabodski Family Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
• 1 C. shortening or butter
• 2 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. sour cream (16 oz.)
• 4 ½ C Flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
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Directions:
• Cream shortening and sugar together.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing in the first one thoroughly before adding the next.
• Add sour cream and vanilla.
• Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Once mixed, add to the wet mixture.
• Dough will be sticky when fully mixed. Do not add more flour or the cookies will become hard. Instead, constantly use flour on your hands, board, and rolling pin.
• Roll, cut, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are a light golden brown.
Icing
Ingredients:
• ½ C. butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• milk
• 1 package powdered sugar
• food coloring (if desired) Directions:
• Whip ½ package powdered sugar and 1 stick of butter until pin-sized clumps appear. 2
• Add vanilla and a splash of milk, adding more as needed.
• Whip up fluffy.
• Separate into bowls and add a few drops of food coloring.
• Mix, ice, then enjoy!
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The days between Thanksgiving and New Year have always been my favorite. To me, this time-period represents “The Holidays” and is the most special time of year because it somehow breeds family togetherness. Maybe it’s the cold weather and snowstorms that seem to trap us together in smaller spaces for longer periods of time. Or maybe it’s the warmth of the fireplace that invites us all to huddle around, hot chocolates in hand, trying to warm ourselves from the inside out. It might even be the many movies that are aired on television during this time that showcase love and family, all of us watching together on the couch, cuddled in blankets. Whatever it is, it’s never complete for me without having labored through making sugar cookies.
I grew up in a family where traditions weren’t held with high regard, and every day of life just seemed to be another day; no more or less special than the day before. I have only one sister who is a couple of years younger than me, but for whatever reason we were never very close. As a result, I spent quite a bit of time with a friend’s family during most of my adolescence. In fact, so much time that they began referring to me as their adopted daughter. I would spend whole weekends with them, nearly every weekend, attending almost all their family outings as if I were a natural born Sabodski. During the holidays Mrs. Sabodski, would always have us kids make and decorate sugar cookies. Her recipe called for sour cream and the cookies were thick and soft, and perfectly sweet. They were the best of their kind that I ever remember tasting. We would make a double batch so I could bring some home for my family to enjoy.
As I aged into adulthood, my path with the Sabodski family separated, but the fond memories I have of my childhood almost always include my time with them. The traditions they bestowed in aspects of my life are now quite deeply rooted. I have come to know that for me, tradition is synonymous with security in the way that it’s something I can always count on; something I can consistently look forward to. A sense of security always brings me back to center whenever I feel my life is going astray. I have children of my own now, and I want them to feel loved and secure, and look back on their own childhoods with a similar fondness. I want them to look forward to our annual sugar cookie bake-out as they age, but also treasure the togetherness, carrying the tradition forward into their own families.
It begins with a recipe, and while the Sabodski’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are the taste of my childhood, any sugar cookie recipe will do. This memory…this tradition, is more about the experience, the individual expression, the creative process, of each participant. Once the dough has been made, the counter is sprinkled with flour and is now ready to receive the sticky mound. The rolling pin is also coated in flour, and each person takes a turn rolling out the dough until it’s been spread across the space and is only a quarter of an inch thick. The cookie cutters are carefully chosen; each shape represents not only the season, but also its creative possibilities. The cutters are pressed into the flat 3 length of dough repeatedly until no undisturbed space remains. The dough is then weeded, removing the unused pieces from between each shape. The snowmen, Christmas trees and the likes are carefully lifted from the counter and placed on the awaiting baking sheet, then transferred into the preheated oven. Ten to twelve minutes later is when the real fun begins!
Once the cookies have cooled, the bowls of colorful frosting are put to use, and spread across the topside of each freshly baked delight. A row a decorations and adornments lines the counter, giving each designer a multitude of options ranging from colored sugar crystals and sprinkles, to pre-made edible candy decorations and tubes of gel icing representing a range of seasonal colors. The excitement my children have as each idea comes to life is what this day is all about. The pride they have in their creations beams from their faces as they stand back and admire their handiwork, trying to decide which ones will go on a plate reserved for the neighbors, and which ones they will fill their bellies with. It is truly an event I look forward to each year.