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rivkaBill (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wcg) came over last night with my birthday presents. From Skye, a pair of terrifying battery-powered doohickeys. Picture an erratically-wobbling ball with a sort of fuzzy, eyed, raccoon-striped tube attached. It's supposed to be a squirrel, but rather more resembles a squirrel tail with eyes. When you start the little motor going, the ball wobbles around whipping the squirrelly thing about by the nose.
I don't know why anyone would design, make, or sell this thing. That said, I understand exactly why a person would buy it and give it to innocent bystanders. "There, you experienced it too! I'm not crazy!" It's just like the Willy Wonka Xploder bar all over again.
My other present, from Bill, was a cookie press. I'd mentioned wanting one at some point - my favorite Christmas cookies are made in a press - and Bill tends to remember things like that. This, however, is not the cheap aluminum cookie press of my childhood - it's a by-god engineering marvel. It's got a ratcheting pump that delivers precisely the amount of dough per cookie. It's got an ergonomic handle. It's got a removable dough compartment for easy washing. It all screws together like a telescope, including an extra little piece that goes on the bottom to store the template discs. I'm almost frightened of it. It's wonderful.
I'm making cookies this weekend. And they're going to be the most high-tech cookies you've ever seen.
wcg) came over last night with my birthday presents. From Skye, a pair of terrifying battery-powered doohickeys. Picture an erratically-wobbling ball with a sort of fuzzy, eyed, raccoon-striped tube attached. It's supposed to be a squirrel, but rather more resembles a squirrel tail with eyes. When you start the little motor going, the ball wobbles around whipping the squirrelly thing about by the nose.I don't know why anyone would design, make, or sell this thing. That said, I understand exactly why a person would buy it and give it to innocent bystanders. "There, you experienced it too! I'm not crazy!" It's just like the Willy Wonka Xploder bar all over again.
My other present, from Bill, was a cookie press. I'd mentioned wanting one at some point - my favorite Christmas cookies are made in a press - and Bill tends to remember things like that. This, however, is not the cheap aluminum cookie press of my childhood - it's a by-god engineering marvel. It's got a ratcheting pump that delivers precisely the amount of dough per cookie. It's got an ergonomic handle. It's got a removable dough compartment for easy washing. It all screws together like a telescope, including an extra little piece that goes on the bottom to store the template discs. I'm almost frightened of it. It's wonderful.
I'm making cookies this weekend. And they're going to be the most high-tech cookies you've ever seen.
Oooh! Cookie Press!
Date: 2001-11-07 11:25 am (UTC)B) I once got quite carried away and baked 9 or 10 dozen cookies at once. Granted, they're small, but still! (I wanted to have all sorts of different flavors, and making 6 of each just seemed silly...)(Okay, it wasn't just the flavors, it was also the ratchety fun of squeezing out cookies.)
--Trinker, doing a drive-by posting.
Re: Oooh! Cookie Press!
Date: 2001-11-07 03:16 pm (UTC)1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flavoring extract (optional)
Cream shortening and sugar very well. Add egg and dry ingredients, and mix. Press onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 6 dozen cookies.
We always made these into Christmas trees and wreaths: Divide the dough in half, before baking, and color each with green or red food coloring. (Green for trees, red or undyed for wreaths.) After pressing them onto the cookie sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with red or green colored sugar.