Borrow a Cup of Sugar Cookies

In the bleak, metaphorical tundra that is January, the only thing I can think to do to keep cabin fever at bay is seek out bright spots, like "Golden Girls" reruns on Monday night, snuggling with Daddy in bed with a good movie and bowl of fresh popcorn, or random acts of kindness from our neighbors.

We received the blessing of the latter just the other weekend. When we arrived home after a few days and one snowstorm out of town, we discovered that our neighbor had shoveled the snow off our sidewalk and was starting on the driveway. He explained that because he wasn't sure what time we would get home he was worried we would arrive in the dark and be struggling to get the snow shoveled.

A thank-you card, I decided, is not a strong enough vessel to carry our gratitude. But, "thank you" spelled in sugar cookies just might do the trick. Sugar cookies are, after all, a home fire's preferred companion.

"Elli, want to make some cookies?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"Let's do it!"

Thus began our longest cooking adventure yet.

(Note: this recipe is from a special Peanuts-branded sugar cookie mix, produced by the "Good Grief Bakery." The mix was a Christmas gift. I've included the recipe here, though I'm not sure it will do you much good.)

Snoopy's Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 sugar cookie mix

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (optional, at least for me because I didn't want to spend $7 on a little bottle of extract I had no other use for)

In large bowl, cut butter into mix until crumbly. In separate bowl, beat egg, vanilla and lemon until light and fluffy. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat over to 350 degrees. On floured sourface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet and back 10-12 minuts or until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool and frost, if desired.

I lined up the numerous little containers of sprinkles I have on one side of the L in the kitchen counter. Elli looked at them and then up at me expectantly.

"See all the sprinkles?" I asked her. "Pick out the ones you want to use on the cookies, and place them over here on this side of the counter. Elli, I want you to look at all these sprinkles.

She giggled and started her work. She chose the green...and then the tiny Christmas trees...the gingerbread men...the multi-colored mini balls...the confetti-like sprinkles....and every other container, except one.

Oddly enough, it was the red sprinkles she left behind. She loves red. Or, at least, she loves saying "red."

"You sure you don't want the red?" I asked, pointing over at the lone container.

"No, no red," she replied.

"All right. If you say so. Well, let's get started on the cookies. It's time to pour the mix into the bowl. You're up." I handed her the bag of mix and gently guided her hands so that the mix would not poof out everywhere. She handled it like a pro, and the mix landed safely in the stainless steel bowl of the stand mixer. Next up: butter. I sliced the butter and she dropped it in the bowl. She watched patiently as I used the mixer's blade to cut in the butter.

She did not try to eat the mix or the butter--a noteworthy event for a sweet girl with a documented and inexplicable taste for empty frozen veggie bags. Similarly, she abstained from trying to eat the egg shell. I have to say, though, she really has picked up on egg-cracking quite well. She hasn't done it often in her young life, but she knew exactly how much force to use to crack the egg on the side of the bowl. I would brag if egg-cracking were really that impressive of a talent. Of course, if she starts cracking, splitting and pouring the egg in one hand in under 3 seconds, I'm calling the media.

We beat together the egg and vanilla until it was what I guessed was the "fluffy" the Good Grief Bakery had in mind. Then she helped me pour the liquids into the mixer's bowl and switch on the blade.

Oh! the smell that rose from the forming dough. It was heavenly.

"Doesn't that smell good, Elli? Can you smell it?" I sniffed, and she mimmicked my sniff. "Mmm, good."

"ess good," she said with a grin.

"You bet it is good. Our neighbors are really going to like these cookies you are making for them."

The batter smelled so good, my mouth watered. Being an adult (by some measures, anyway), I have finely honed self-control. Elli, on the other hand, has a ways to go. She whimpered like a puppy when I covered up the bowl with cling wrap to put in the refrigerator.

"Eat! Eat!" she insisted. I would soon find out that her insistance was more of a threat than a request.

After an hour of chill time (for both the dough and for us), we got the dough out of the refrigerator in preparation for the rolling. This would be Elli's first rolling experience.

At first she did well resisting the temptation to eat the dough. Of course, that was probably because I distracted her with the concept of taking a cookie cutter and smacking it down into the dough.

But, apparently, smacks get boring. Eating, however, does not.

Loves to eat.

Eating is her favorite.

"OK," I said, pulling the dough out of her reach, "how about you put some sprinkles on the cookies? Daddy can help you." I set her and Daddy up on one side of the table doing the sprinkles while I continued to roll and cut on the other side. Elli didn't so much sprinkle as douse the cookies. But fortunately, we could return some of the strays to their containers.

"Those are beautiful," I told her. Our odyssey was put on pause for the sake of bedtime. In the morning, we iced the cookies (and licked the beaters), creating a beautiful and well-received thank-you card for our thoughtful neighbors.

Who needs Hallmark?

Things Elli Could Do:

• Pour ingredients into bowl
• Mix ingredients together
• Help spread flour onto counter
• Identify letter cookie cutters
• Smack down cutters into dough
• Man the sprinkles
• "Clean" the icing off the beaters

Overall Sugar Cookie Ratings (5 being best):

Elli-friendly cooking: 4

Elli-friendly eating: do I seriously need to give a rating?

Simple: 4

Fast: 1

Frugal: 4

Question of the Week: What makes a good neighbor?