The Long and the Short of it.

My baking skills suck. Basically, anyway. I have this wing-it attitude when I cook and it just doesn't apply to baking. I have tossed drippy ganache into the bin. I've burned countless cookies. Dry, gross quick breads, corn bread, muffins that my kids beg me not to take to their school breakfast......And most recently I tried to pass an inedible, damp, cold, rubbery raspberry clafoutis as a dessert.

I wouldn't care so much if I didn't have countless a fair amount of free time to hone my skills.

I think my recent obsession with baking started here, at forty-six at grace. I fell in love with Nikole's blog with these amazingly lovely shortbread cookies:





Aren't they the most beautiful, precious little circles you've ever seen? For the recipe, go here: Shortbread Buttons.

Another similar recipe that I have officially mastered, thanks to my friend Susan Levin and her support (and hand holding), is a slice and bake cookie. This recipe is almost shortbread and makes an excellent cookie for sandwich cookies:

Slice & Bake Cookies :: Cook's Country

Baker's note: better to use a food processor than a mixer. And if a processor is not available, I mastered these just fine by hand.

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/s teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1. With a food processer (or mix by hand) blend salt and sugars until no lumps appear. Add butter, vanilla, and egg yolk. Process (or by hand) until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add flour and mix until dough forms.

2. Turn out dough to lightly floured work surface and roll into a 10" log. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hrs.

3. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice chilled dough into 1/4 inch rounds and place 1" apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before transferring them.

Perfect as a sandwich cookie with a slather of Nutella, your favorite jam, or frosting.

And please take a minute to check out forty-six at grace.