The Taste of Memories
"Their memories will be encrusted over with sublime and pleasing thoughts."
--Henry David Thoreau
Did you know that memory making is done every moment of our lives: Some memories are happy and vivid, while others we prefer to forget. What most people don't realize is that we often have a choice between making them happy or unhappy. It's for this reason that I try to cultivate the habit of making pleasant memories from small events. An example of this is when my daughter Rosie and I bake together. We call it tasting memories...and when we use a recipe for Swedish butter cookies handed down from my Grandmother (and her mother before her) we link the past with the present...and the present with the future.
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Swedish Butter Cookies
3. Dust with powdered sugar. Share and enjoy.
"Their memories will be encrusted over with sublime and pleasing thoughts."
--Henry David Thoreau
Did you know that memory making is done every moment of our lives: Some memories are happy and vivid, while others we prefer to forget. What most people don't realize is that we often have a choice between making them happy or unhappy. It's for this reason that I try to cultivate the habit of making pleasant memories from small events. An example of this is when my daughter Rosie and I bake together. We call it tasting memories...and when we use a recipe for Swedish butter cookies handed down from my Grandmother (and her mother before her) we link the past with the present...and the present with the future.
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Swedish Butter Cookies
3. Dust with powdered sugar. Share and enjoy.
2. I always make extra to store in the freezer for future use.
1. Mix your ingredients then roll dough into cylinder shapes and wrap in waxed paper.
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Corrected Post with ALL ingredients included.
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Recipe: Grandmother Carlson's Swedish Butter cookies.
You will need:
1-1/3 cups butter, softened (Hint: I don't recommend margarine in this recipe. You may substitute half of the butter with shortening for a lighter cookie, but less of a butter flavor.)
3/4 cup powdered sugar (Hint: You may also use granulated sugar but the texture will not be as light as if you used powdered sugar.)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
(Thanks Rhonda for noticing this omission in my first posting of this recipe.)
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract (we prefer almond flavoring).
Note: This is an ideal recipe to use in a food processor, but it is not necessary for good results.
To Make:
Mix all ingredients and work until smooth. Roll dough into long tube-shapes and wrap in waxed paper (see photos above). Chill in the freezer for about 5 minutes, or 15 -30 minutes in the refrigerator (this will make slicing easier). Slice the tube-shaped dough into 1/4 inch rounds. Place these on an un-greased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Put the cookie sheet with unbaked cookies in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes to chill slightly. Bake in a preheated, 400 degree oven for 4 - 6 minutes (check after 4 minutes--you'll know they're finished when you see that the edges are slightly golden and the cookies slightly puffed). Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea or coffee, or box and give as gifts to special kindred spirits. They melt in your mouth.
-------Note: This is an ideal recipe to use in a food processor, but it is not necessary for good results.
To Make:
Mix all ingredients and work until smooth. Roll dough into long tube-shapes and wrap in waxed paper (see photos above). Chill in the freezer for about 5 minutes, or 15 -30 minutes in the refrigerator (this will make slicing easier). Slice the tube-shaped dough into 1/4 inch rounds. Place these on an un-greased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Put the cookie sheet with unbaked cookies in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes to chill slightly. Bake in a preheated, 400 degree oven for 4 - 6 minutes (check after 4 minutes--you'll know they're finished when you see that the edges are slightly golden and the cookies slightly puffed). Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea or coffee, or box and give as gifts to special kindred spirits. They melt in your mouth.
This recipe originally was published in our Frugal Luxuries newsletter in 2001
Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
