Sunday, October 31, 2010

For all the Saints: Ellen's Cookies




Friends and family love these cookies. I witnessed my husband's enthusiastic response as he prepared to partake of a fresh warm cookie today. They are full of candy pieces (harvest colors this time) and chocolate chips, combined with a hint of peanut butter. Evolving over time, I finally have found the formula that results in soft, flavorful, morsel-filled cookies. So, although not from Grandma's cookbook, it seemed necessary to enter them into this blog because they have become a current favorite. The harmonious marriage of the old and the new is what this journey is about.

All Saints Day is tomorrow and that was a theme of today's church service. We sang the words " for all the saints who from their labors rest" and I thought of Grandma working in kitchen and garden, now at rest. We sang about being in "mystic sweet communion" and I thought of feeling her spirit and feeling her presence when I read from her scrawled recipes and stained pages. Honoring tradition is a way of honoring the saints in our lives. My own wall of fame is full of saints: Julian of Norwich, Saint Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, and St. Therese. We would do well to honor the gift for doing the extraordinary into our current culture. Information comes to us know at rapid fire speed but the ancient writings of the saints contain a wisdom and a depth that we need- likely more we need the latest twitter posting of a contemporary.

So, with reverence for the old and gratefulness for the new, I offer you my special cookie recipe. I hope you like them!

Ellen's cookies
10 T margarine
1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 T pure vanilla

Mix all these ingredients until smooth.

Add 2 eggs and continue mixing.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients into above mixture. When well blended, add 1 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup M&M candies.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. These are so delicious right from the oven!

Happy All Saints Day!
~Ellen~

1 comment:

  1. Hello,
    My name is Jeff McLain, I am a Mennonite Church Planting Pastor in Southern California, however I grew up in Lancaster Pennsylvania.

    I run a network of Anabaptist (Mostly Mennonite & Brethren) Bloggers. Anabaptist Blogs is an engaging and missional online directory and network of Anabaptist-themed blogs from Anabaptist Bloggers.

    Anabaptist Blogs is not affiliated with any specific Anabaptist Denomination or Conference. We act as a web-ring that networks and organizes Anabaptist-themed blogs. We only add blogs that request to be added to our directory. We in no way take responsibility for any content published in any matter from a blog in our network or a blog's author.

    We are working on putting some adds around online, a add in 'The Mennonite' Magazine and holding a bloggers forum to encourage the art in our Anabaptist circles.

    Would you be interested in being linked on our website, www.anabaptistblogs.com ? We want to add a cooking section!

    Jeff McLain
    jeffreymclain@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete