i am going to flip the script a bit here, this wasn’t a strange phone call from my mom, it was a strange phone call to my mom!

so christmas eve day found my daughter and i making an old family cookie recipe that involves rolling and cutting the dough,while the boys talked about video games and got started on the holiday cheer. we followed the instructions and go the dough mixed up and it held together well in the bowl (as expected)

however when we tried to take a ball and roll it out on the counter it broke apart. we thought we should add a bit more milk, but i never bake and the kid leans more toward cupcake mastery, so we did the smart thing and called mom/grandma for help. i described in detail what was happening, that it seemed right in the bowl but wasn’t quite ready when being rolled. she thinks for a second or two and says, add 2 tablespoons of milk and mix it all in.

and i shit you not, from 1500 miles away, that woman somehow looked at my bowl, might have even kneaded it a little in some magical way and knew not only that we needed more milk but exactly how much we needed. MAGIC I SAY!

P.S. the cookies were excellent.

Spicy griddle cookies (no need for the oven)

3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin or apple pie spice

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

stir dry ingredients together in bowl, cut in shortening til mixture is mealy. Beat egg and milk together, add to flour and mix until well blended.

Roll out 1/4 in thin and cut into desired shapes.

Heat griddle until water drops ‘dance’ on it. Lightly greas griddle, place cut outs on it leaving space between cookies

Flip when tops become ‘puffy’. makes around 4 dozen 2 inch cookies

Best served warm