Gramma's Cookies

It is indelibly etched in my memory, so far back, I can’t remember a beginning — making cookies with my Gramma Meli. She wore her white hair pinned at her nape, with a hairnet over it. Her body, wonderful for climbing onto and snuggling into, smelled of Dove soap and clean sweat. I loved her with all my heart.

I spent a lot of time at Gramma and Grampa’s house when I was small. They lived just down the street. When she pulled out her largest cooking pot, I knew something wonderful was about to begin. It could be tomato sauce with meatballs, or homemade pasta. Sometimes, if I was very lucky, it was cookies. I think everyone remembers some form of Italian cookies like hers. The best part, beside eating them, was rolling them into whatever shapes we liked.

She never followed a written recipe. It felt like she used a whole bag of flour and a dozen eggs. She dumped in sugar, but the cookies weren’t sweet. It seemed like she poured in milk, and oil . . . just eyeballing all of it. All the ingredients flowed into the pot. My Aunt Flo did write it all down, measuring as Gramma went along. She preserved the recipe. 

I made it just that way for years and years. I still have the recipe, safe and sound, and it is sentimentally wonderful. In reality, it is dry, heavy, and not very flavorful. I hope I haven’t said anything sacreligious. I have modified it to my own standards, and maintained as much of its original joy as possible, to keep it alive in my heart. I exchanged the oil for butter. I don’t put milk in it. The cookies retain the fluffiness that comes from the baking powder. I roll them in all the traditional shapes.

Gramma and Grampa were dunkers. The cookies were often breakfast. Her coffee was made in a bowl, which sat on a saucer. She spooned teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into it, then added a teaspoon of Instant Sanka. After she filled the cup 3/4 full with boiling water, she topped it off with enough milk to spill over when she stirred it. I watched this ritual faithfully. I have the bowl she used, and the bowl she used for me. They are kept safe from daily use, and looked upon with love. 

I consider my recipe to be “Gramma Cookies 2.0.” I usually double it. For a change, I really do get three dozen cookies per batch. You’ll need to ice them, and I’ll include the “recipe” for that as well.

Gramma Cookies

Oven: 350, greased cookie sheets or use parchment paper. Baking time: About 10 minutes. Don’t brown the tops.

Ingredients: 

1 stick of butter, softened or melted/cooled

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Method:

Whip the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the flour and baking powder, mixing gradually until completely combined.

Divide the dough as needed into balls about the size of a walnut. Roll those into snakes and then shape as pictured. Place the cookies on the sheets, bake them, cool them, and then ice them.

To make the icing, I use powdered sugar, almond extract, and a little half n half or milk. You can use water, if you like, or just use prepared cream cheese frosting. Color and sprinkles are optional. The flavor comes from the icing. Put the powdered sugar into a bowl…maybe about 2 cups? Put in the almond extract, probably a teaspoon. Stir it with a fork. Add the “cream” to make a thin icing, and then use your fingers to ice the cookies. If you plan to use sprinkles, put them on immediately because this dries fast.