Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Grandma's cookies

Grandpa, Me, and Grandma 2000
Grandpa and Grandma 2001
Aunt Kath, Me, Grandma 2002
Grandma and Grandpa 2005
Grandpa, Me, and Grandma, April 2007

There have been so many wonderful memories shared back and forth between family and friends since my Grandma Pavkov passed away last June, but two of the most remembered things about Grandma were her selfless giving of time especially in washing, mending, sorting, packing, and shipping clothes to Argentina and other places along with the cookie baking she did.


My cousin Martha recently sent around an email asking if anyone had Grandma's M&M cookie recipe. Wow, that request brought back a flood of memories -- that was the very first recipe anyone ever gave me. I was five, I think, when she wrote out one of my favorite recipes just for me! However, years later, fire claimed our home along with that cherished recipe.
Aunt Carole has Grandma's recipe box and started delving through. She found her M&M cookie recipe, so I thought I'd share it with you all. They are wonderful! Of course, most of the memories also involve children standing around the counter "helping" grandma by sticking their fingers in the dough and also placing three M&Ms on top of each cookie with careful precision.
Enjoy....
Party Cookies Made with M&M's Plain Chocolate Candies (about 6 dozen)
1 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M Plain chocolate candies
1. Blend shortening and brown and granulated sugars in large bowl. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Sift remaining dry ingredients together, add to sugar-egg mixture, blending well. Stir in 1/2 cup candies (reserve remaining candies for decorating).
2. Drop from teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate tops with remaining candies. Bake in moderate oven (375) 10 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely. After baking, some candies make be slightly cracked. This adds texture and interest to cookies -- still the same delightful flavor.
Of course, this recipe doesn't show the most important ingredient. Countless cups of love into each and every batch.

5 comments:

Martha said...

I could not read this post without crying. I haven't made the cookies yet, but I have a feeling that no matter how close I make them to her original recipe, they just won't be the same. Thanks for the pics and the post.

LindaSue said...

I had to check yours and Liz's blogs, see if you "published" this treasure yet!

liz said...

Yum! I can't wait for a copy of all her recipes! (I love me some nasoova!)

Anonymous said...

Mar...it will take years to accomplish Gram's cookies like she did. NOt because you can't do it, but it's the memories that make the cookies taste even better take awhile to accumulate.
Liz, I have the recipe for the nasoova. In Hungarian it's called paprikas krumple which transulates to potato paprikas.
LindaSue, Those are really special pictures. Brought back so many memories. When I think of all Gram did in her advanced age, there is just no way I'll ever measure up to that! I just pray I'll be able to serve our Lord like she did so faithfully for 95 years. What a blessing. (She would have loved to know how to blog...just as she loved sending and receiving e-mails which she learned after she was 85!)

Martha said...

I've kept all of Gram's emails to me that started when I was in Phoenix! She even sent me her rhubarb pie recipe via email! It's still in my inbox and will remain there!