I frankly don’t feel there is anything I should have to write about “Pink Cookies”. However, since I can rarely, if ever, keep my thoughts to myself, I feel duty bound to elucidate on the many virtues of this quintessential NW favorite. And yes, I know there are other areas of the world like Provo, Utah and some obscure place in Denmark that claim they were the inspiration for these feel good cookies. Regardless, I have decided to hold firmly to the belief that Uncle Seth, beloved coffee cart cookie guru here in Seattle is behind my whole love affair with these pink frosted delectable sugar cookies. So because I know I am not alone in loving these delightful creations, I decided that Valentine’s Day was the perfect time to share them with our home concert guests. And because it was Valentine’s Day, they simply had to be heart shaped and lightly adorned with multi-colored sprinkles. (Could they really be anything but?)

So I took my favorite sugar cookie recipe, added a cream cheese frosting (tinted pink in deference to the holiday) and whipped up a double batch. And as expected, they were gobbled up by one and all. (Even by my husband who doesn’t like “pink cookies”, or so he says!)

Now for those of you who live in the Pacific NW and don’t know about “pink cookies”, all I can say is – where have you been these last few years? Do you not drink coffee, or ever buy an espresso drink from a coffee cart or stand? I mean really, how could you have missed this treat from heaven? Now of course, if you are from somewhere like Omaha or Cleveland, I can totally understand that coffee may not be an integral part of your life! But you still should know the real reason people drink so much coffee in the Seattle area. That’s right. It’s simply to justify having a nice hot liquid to go with their heavenly pink frosted cookie. There is no other reason that could possibly justify why a sane person (are you listening Mr. C) would spend $4.75 for a drink that actually costs less than $.50 to make at home!

So, if you too are fans of this delightful cookie, bake up a batch at your earliest convenience. And forget making them small. They should be big, and thick, with lots of frosting. And although Uncle Seth doesn’t usually add sprinkles, I personally feel it should be mandatory. There’s just something about sprinkles that smacks of good times and fun. And these cookies are nothing if not fun. Fun to bake, fun to look at, and definitely fun to eat! Thanks Uncle Seth.

Cookies:

• 1½ c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. almond flavoring
• 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Whisk together the flour, salt, soda, and cream of tartar in a small bowl. Stir into the butter mixture. Place dough on a long piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, wrap the dough into the plastic gently shaping it into a round log about 2 plus inches wide. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Un-wrap log and slice dough a generous 1/3-inch thick. Arrange slices, about 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until delicately golden, 12-15 minutes. (Do not under-bake.) Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Add sprinkles if desired. Store in a tightly covered container hidden away from your family.

Note: if you prefer to cut the cookies into shapes, refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Roll out to generous 1/3-inch. (Do not roll any thinner. The thicker the cookie, the better the flavor.) Cut into favorite shapes. Arrange cookies, about 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until delicately golden for 12-15 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. (Do not under-bake.) Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp. almond extract
• 2-3 c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
• 2-3 drops red or pink food coloring, opt.
• ¼ c. sprinkles, opt.

While the cookies cool, cream the butter, cream cheese, salt, and almond extract until completely smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar to taste and consistency. Slowly add pink or red food coloring, one small drop at a time, until you are happy with the color. Blend until color is evenly distributed throughout the frosting. Frost the cookies and add sprinkles if desired. Allow frosting to harden. Store in an airtight container. Can be made 3-4 days ahead.

Note: If you are storing your cookies in layers, make sure the frosting is good and set before placing between sheets of waxed paper. (I usually let frosting set for at least 2 hours.)   

Our good friend Vicki served us these cookies at her home recently, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They are just about as good as any cookie I have ever had the pleasure of stuffing in my mouth. Apparently West African slaves introduced sesame seeds to America in the 17^th century. And for decades now, benne (the Nigerian name for sesame seeds) wafers have been a southern favorite. They are light, crisp, and delightfully flavorful. The flavor actually reminds me of the crisp sesame seed candy my children used to beg me to bring home from the International district when I worked there in the 70s.

So this year in their Christmas goody packages, I wrapped up some of these cookies along with their other favorite Christmas treats. I can’t wait to hear their reactions, because even though they are all grown up, they are still kids at heart when it comes to Christmas cookies. (Who isn’t?) I’m just hoping the benne wafers also remind them of one of their favorite childhood candies. (Christmas is so fun!!!)

So for a delightfully different cookie experience, give these wafer cookies a try. I have served them to several people now, and every person has just loved them.

So thanks again Vicki for another wonderful recipe. And I am so glad you grew up in the South. Having been born and raised in the Seattle area, I had no idea such a cookie existed. But as I have said before, I am really learning to appreciate the fact that our country has such a wealth of dishes that are distinctive to individual regions. And the best way to discover these new dishes, is to either travel to the areas or have a good friend who has lived there. In the case of the latter, it’s the cheaper way to go. But getting out and seeing our beautiful country and experiencing the cuisine first hand is definitely my preference.

So, you get out to the kitchen and bake up a batch of these wafer cookies. I’ll be at my desk planning our next domestic vacation/food destination!

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¾ c. toasted* sesame seeds

Cream the butter and brown sugar together until very light. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and toasted sesame seeds. Add to the butter mixture and combine thoroughly.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place balls of soft dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in a pre-heated 325 oven for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned and set. (They will feel and look like they are not quite done, but don’t worry. They will crisp up as they cool.) Remove from oven and let sit for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. They should be a light golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

There are few cookies I like better than a good oatmeal raisin cookie. And that’s not because oatmeal raisin cookies are necessarily better for me, calorie wise that is, but you do have to admit, they feature healthier ingredients than some cookie varieties out there! Especially this recipe that contains whole wheat flour, and lots of oats, walnuts, and raisins. So in essence oatmeal raisin cookies are a lot better for us nutritionally than a chocolate chip cookie, for example. (And no, I don’t mean to suggest that you stop eating chocolate chip cookies. That would be entirely too great a sacrifice.) All I’m saying is that a good oatmeal raisin cookie is also worthy of your attention.

But I hold this truth to be self-evident; not all oatmeal raisin cookies are created equal. And in my humble opinion, their creator, our dear friend Jim’s father Don, in order to form a more perfect union, found just that perfect blend of ingredients in his pursuit of oatmeal raisin cookie happiness. These are simply the best oatmeal raisin cookies I ever tasted. They are chock full of nuts and raisins, are crunchy (from the nuts) and chewy (from the oats and raisins), and the overall flavor is unequalled in all the land.

So without any further preamble or declaration, I give you Don’s magnificent recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. And if these cookies don’t insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare at your home, then I don’t know the difference between a preface and a prologue!

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1½ c. whole wheat flour
• 3 c. regular oats
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 c. walnut halves, not chopped
• 2 c. golden raisins

Cream the butter, oil, and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir in the oats. Add to the butter mixture until just combined and then stir in the nuts and raisins.

Drop by ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet, then remove to cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.