by Rita of sammysgrammy



the FRANCES cookie

This is a "reissue" of a recipe I shared with you about a year ago. It's wonderful tasting, and easy to prepare and, depending upon how your dress it, can be quite a ***sTaR***. It's making a reappearance because of Valentines Day coming up soon, plus I just made a batch of heart shaped ones and will probably make a couple more before Valentines Day 2011 rolls around.

For those of you who didn't see it the first time, it's named after my Mother's next-door neighbor, who gave me the recipe. She was a wonderful baker and her house always smelled like something wonderful was happening there.

For the FRANCES cookie you'll need:

1. 
   1 cup of room temperature margarine (2 sticks)
2. 
   1 & 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
3. 
   1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks at room temperature
4. 
   3 cups of AP flour
5. 
   1/2 tsp. of baking powder
6. 
   1/2 tsp. of salt
7. 
   1 &1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) into a bowl and whisk together to combine thoroughly. In another bowl, cream together margarine and sugar with electric beater. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed sugar/margarine.

Add the dry ingredients in thirds to the wet ingredients, incorporating each addition of the dry ingredients. Depending on the power of your beater, you may need to mix the final flour addition in by hand. Knead this dough either in the bowl or on a floured counter top, into a silky, smooth ball.

I divide the dough ball with a pastry scraper into workable portions. Pat the dough portion (on your lightly floured counter) into a flat, pancake shape about 1/8 to 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Remove the shapes from the counter with your scraper and onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet about 3/4" apart. Gather up the unused dough and pat it out again. You may need to get another portion from the dough ball to make it the right size to pat out. The great thing about this cookie dough is: it does NOT need to be refrigerated, it can be used immediately and you can pat it out over and over again. Bake for 7-9 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.

Cool completely before glazing.

Glaze: note: I use the same parchment I used for baking as a table protection while glazing. Put 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar into a small, deep bowl. Gradually add hot water by the tbsp. to the sugar, beating vigorously with a wire whisk. Optional: add flavoring to this - i.e., lemon, orange, almond, or vanilla. You'll want the glaze to have the consistency of melted chocolate or gravy . Apply to cookies using a pastry brush. While the glaze is wet, sprinkle with colored sugar or nonpareils.

Pass around to your family, the neighbors, or bring to work (so you won't eat them all yourself)

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For several days now I've been singing the scripture, "I will love the Lord with all of my heart, I will love the Lord with all of my soul, I will love the Lord with all of my strength............" I've been waking up with that song permeating my consciousness. Years ago we sang it in "rounds" . One would start, "I will love the Lord with all of my heart", then while they continued on to the next verse ("I will love the Lord with all of my soul") the second group would sing the song from the beginning......and so on. What the Lord heard was the entire scripture sung at the same time.

This verse, Matthew 22:37, was Jesus' response to a lawyer (one well versed in the Mosaic Law) who asked Him, "which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus' answer was " you shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" NKJV

When we sing that song or make that confession - "I love the Lord with all my heart", we are in effect, saying, with all my being, with everything in me.

The heart is a very powerful symbol. It is the core/center of our being, both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

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Fellow castteam-mates shops where you can find wonderful heart/valentine/love related items....

cupcake toppers by

http://www.cardsbycarla.etsy.com/




Red and orange heart pendant by:
http://www.blogger.com/www.helixelement.etsy.com



Heart trimmed boxers by: dogbarks

http://www.dogbarks.etsy.com





coke heart earrings by wildappledesign

http://www.wildappledesign.etsy.com




heart puzzle by newcreatioNZ

http://www.newcreationz.etsy.com