My friend Maria is going to visit me today. We met in Fall 2002 in a Jewelry Design Class. Maria had gone to college in the 70's, moved to NYC, lived in an apartment with many friends, chose between buying food, riding the subway or walking to work and a new pair of shoes she could not resist. After years of working her way up in a successful career, buying a place for herself in NYC, and working long hours she was asked to train her younger replacement before she left her job.
Always an optimist Maria saw this as an opportunity for her to go back to college. She was in Art Education to pursue her dreams of teaching children to love art as much as she does. Maria and I found a good connection in that class.
I was back in college at age 45 after being a wife and a fulltime mother to our two children. We had moved from Pittsburgh to Buffalo in 1999 for my husbands career. Our children were in college. I kept hearing a voice telling me, " You neglected to do something."
This was my time to see what could happen if I went to college for art classes.
That is where I choose to begin my story; what happened after I went back to college for art classes...
When Maria visits today to tell me about her job interview for a teaching postion I will serve
Hibiscus Sun Tea and Thumbprint Cookies with Blueberry or Strawberry Jam fillings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes about 3-1/2 dozen.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, whites and yolks separated and reserved
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 cups unbleached flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
1-1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup jam
Preparation:Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar. Add egg yolks (reserving egg whites for later) and extract. Mix out 1 cup of flour and add salt to it. Gradually add to butter mixture. Add other cup of flour gradually. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Also make sure reserved egg whites are covered and refrigerated, too.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Very lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Set counter for the rolling process by setting out low-sided bowl with lightly beaten and reserved egg whites and another low-sided bowl for the nuts. Roll dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls. Then roll each ball into egg white and then nuts. Place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Press thumb into each cookie before baking. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Move to wire racks for cooling. Press centers again with thumb. When cookies are almost cool, fill centers with jam. The jams may be any flavor you choose. You can also use lemon curd or icing if you prefer. You can make these with or without the nuts.
No comments:
Post a Comment