Saturday, December 19, 2009

Lonely heart Mexican wedding cookies

This morning, the husband left at the crack of dawn for Kentucky. It was so early--around 4 am--that I barely remember kissing him goodbye before he was off, and Frances and I shuffled back to bed. When I awoke several hours later, it seemed like a dream.

But once I was up and the dog was walked and I was settled in front of the newspaper with a cup of coffee, I became intensely aware of how quiet the house was. Don't get me wrong--the husband is not a loud person. In fact, he's particularly quiet in the morning. But when you've got a steady routine built up for about 10 years, something as subtle as someone not being around to say nothing is noticeable.

It's nice to have a few hours to yourself, that's true. I lazed around the house, finished my mystery novel, and wrote out a few holiday cards. After that, I started missing the husband for real.

So as not to dwell on things too much, I thought I'd better make some cookies. Tomorrow, my mother and some family friends and I are gathering for our annual cookie baking day. We'll all bring a few batches to share--some dough to bake off, as well as some cookies baked but needing final touches, and we'll spend the day baking, frosting, decorating, and eating. At the end of the day, we'll stagger away in sugar comas, having swapped cookies so that we all return home with at least a dozen different kinds.

I usually bring two kinds, and the first I'd decided on were Flo Braker's Mexican wedding cookies. The recipe is dead simple and took just moments to pull together. Once I pulled them from the oven and dusted them with powdered sugar, I had trouble resisting them.


Since no one was around to judge me, I decided not to.


I mean, look at these little guys. They're positively bite-sized.


They had a buttery, tender crumb, and I could taste the walnuts running through them. These cookies are beautiful and easy and will definitely become a staple in my repertoire.

Later tonight or tomorrow, I'll start my miniature black and white cookies. I'm planning to bake them ahead of time, then frost them at the party. But for now, I think I'll settle in on the couch for a bit, see if I can find some guilty television to watch. I miss my honey but I may as well enjoy being master of the remote control while I can. With a little plate of cookies, of course.


15 comments:

  1. Aww...hope you're not feeling too lonely. Cookie baking day sounds like an awesome tradition! Looking forward to seeing the b+w cookies.

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  2. Yum! I am a total sucker for Mexican Wedding Cookies. Good plan for the guilty TV - I always like (or liked, French TV kinda sucks) to watch What Not To Wear when my husband goes out of town. ;)

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  3. When those little cutie cookies stare at me like that I can't resit either. Hope your husband reads this post and see how much you missed him.

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  4. These look like the most wonderful comfort cookie. There's something so nice about this kind of buttery bliss. I know just what you mean about missy hubby when he's away. Today is my 17th anniversary and any time we have had to be on trips on our own there is that strange loneliness. I love your family cookie tradition, hope you all had a blast!

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  5. should be "missing hubby"...

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  6. What a nice post! Lucky hubby! Your holiday cookie tradition sounds sweet. Enjoy yourself and enjoy being Queen of the remote! Happy Christmas!Pam

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  7. HD, I know what you mean about the quiet. When Dan's not home, there's an energy that's missing. When I come into our house, I know right away if he's there or not--I can just FEEL it. When he's gone, the house is too quiet.

    These cookies look like a good idea--not quite the same as husband, but a different sort of comfort. YUM!

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  8. Shaz: I'll post some photos soon of the b+w cookies although they don't look as nice as I would have liked--I think you could have done a much better job!

    croquecamille: Sometimes you just have to get your guilty TV fix--always best when they spouse is out of town.

    cocochanelella: Thanks, and thanks for visiting!

    cookbookapprentice: happy anniversary!! 17 years is very impressive. Hope you did something romantic to celebrate :)

    Gypsy chef: Thanks! The cookie tradition is a lot of fun, I'll be posting photos soon of our many, many cookies!

    Kate: Ha. True, cookies may not be an exact subsitute for your husband but they do help distract you!!

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  9. Hey, at least you have the hungry dog (and cookies) to keep you company! I'm single and have no pets, so I'm really alone. :P Hope you had fun with the cookie baking. (I am not a cookie person but do love the ease of the mexican wedding cookies which aren't really cookies to me but more like cookie balls, but I digress.) I bet your hubby will be back before you know it!

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  10. Solitude while baking cookies is a very good thing... just think, you get all of the cookie dough!

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  11. Making cookies is a great idea to break the solitude! Great job :)

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  12. Cookies sure can lift your spirits, can't they?

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  13. We used to call these pecan sandies, although yours don't seem to have pecans. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I wish I had a group of cookie makers as friends.
    Sit down, have one of your dozen cookie choices (lucky girl), read a good book. talk to Hungry Dog or watch some TV. Time will pass quickly.
    Happy Holidays!

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  14. I love Fro's recipes, but have not tried her Mexican Wedding cakes yet. After your rave review -- not to mention the fact that you said they have a whiff of orange in them -- I know it's next on my list of things to bake.

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  15. Ben: You need to get yourself a pet--seriously! you'll never feel lonely with a dog or a kitty.

    Barbara: The recipe called for either pecans or walnuts, I just used walnut b/c that's what I had on hand. Actually, pecans might have been better--they have a richer, more buttery taste.

    Food Gal: the recipe is from the book you recommended to me :)

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