My Father's Favorite Cookie

I only cook during the months of Nov. and Dec. Lately I don't even mix up my own sugar cookie dough but there is one holiday tradition I always keep and that is baking my father's favorite cookies. He only got them once a year, at Christmas time, probably because they have more than four ingredients and the dough had to chill.

How my mother got the time in to bake even one batch per holiday season is beyond me. She spent the entire month of December cooking batch after batch of fudge for the neighbors. She was known in the neighborhood and the church for having the "knack" when it came to making fudge and divinity. Guess who got to stir every damn batch? And only got to eat the scrapings from the pan? Me! But I am NOT bitter. (Thanks to years of therapy)

I usually hate cooking segments and don't think for one minute this blog is going to become some haven for Martha Stewart wannabes but I am going to share this recipe because these cookies are worth the trouble. They are light and delicate. (Just like I used to be before I became a sedentary retiree) They are called Jubilee Jumbles and they are a soft sugar cookie with a burnt butter glaze. Come to think of it this cookie is right up Martha's alley. She likes delicate things. Or at least that's what she told her prison roommate, Earlina.

Jubilee Jumbles

1/2 cup soft shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup undiluted carnation evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 3/4 cup sifted flour

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix thoroughly shortening, sugars, eggs. Stir in evaporated milk and vanilla.

Sift together flour, soda, salt and stir in. Blend in the nuts

Chill one hour.

Heat oven to 375

Drop rounded teaspoons full onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake until delicately brown.

While warm frost with burnt butter glaze and garnish with nuts.

 Burnt butter glaze

Heat 2 tbsp butter until golden brown. Beat until smooth 2 cups softened confectioners sugar and 1/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk.

(This is never enough glaze for me so I usually double that portion of the recipe. There is usually enough evaporated milk in one can for the cookies and the icing....)