Author: Paul Abney

This was a specialty of Paul’s grandma, Angeline Abney. He makes them every Christmas and makes sure his wife, Ellen, eats one – even though she doesn’t like nuts.

1/2 C. butter or margarine
1 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. nuts, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400º. Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Stir in egg and dry ingredients. Add nuts and vanilla and stir until well blended. Form dough into log, wrap tightly in waxed paper, and refrigerate for several hours. Slice log into 1/2″ slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

This cookie was a specialty of Paul’s grandma, Ellen Koch. For many years, she sent some to Paul at Christmastime wrapped in plastic wrap and packed in popped popcorn. It’s a great cookie recipe, but the popcorn always added an extra flavor that wasn’t quite right.

1/2 C. butter
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon rind
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten
2 T. milk
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Sift together dry ingredients; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon, nutmeg, eggs and milk. Add flour mixture, a little at a time. Beat 8 to 10 minutes. Refrigerate dough overnight. Baking: Preheat oven to 350°. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 7 to 10 minutes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Paul’s a very careful baker, and generally bakes 1 cookie the first time to check on the timing of the baking. He says you’ll have to watch every batch and, “Take them out of the oven when they look like they’re ready; that’s what good cooks do.”