Triangle cookies

My mother has a terrific recipe for a pumpkin cookie. Every October, when candy corn is sold in stores, she would make these cookies. They are pumpkin and raisin with a hint of cinnamon, with a caramel frosting and a candy corn on top of each cookie.

The Munchkin discovered candy corn last week at Grandma’s house. It was sitting out in a candy dish shaped like a maple leaf. “Oh, look, Grandma,” she said enthusiastically. “Triangles!” My mother thought it was so adorable that the Munchkin was immediately rewarded with her first candy corn.

So, I bought some candy corn myself. After dinner last night, I mixed up the cookie dough and added the raisins under the watchful eye of my “helper.” She stirred in the raisins while I made the frosting. When the first tray of cookies came out of the oven, the Munchkin had already been treated to several broken pieces of candy corn. But now it was time to look for the whole, perfect pieces with just the right amount of white on top.

I carefully frosted the warm cookies, and then guided her little hand to place the crowning candy corn on top. “Don’t press too hard,” I told her. “You don’t want to smash the cookie.” The novelty and fun lasted for the first three trays’ worth, and then she scampered off for a bath.

When she came back, she wanted to sample the wares. “Mommy, can I have a triangle cookie?”

“Not tonight, sweetie. You’ve already eaten enough triangles as it is. You can have one tomorrow.”

As I finished baking and frosting the rest of the cookies – I made a double batch – I arranged the ones that were cool enough on paper plates. One will go over to Little Mo’s house. Not because they need it, but because I need to do it. She’s not going to be able to go trick-or-treating this year. Someone ought to take a treat to her. Another plate will go next door, to the family that we’ve gotten close to. A mother and her two adult sons live there – they lost their husband and father last year to cancer. When I learned that she didn’t bake, I started taking muffins and cookies and breads over there. They have watched our house and helped us out in so many ways, that this is my way of saying thank you. Another plate will go with us to Friend and Doc’s house today when we go over there for our informal play date. It would be a pity for the Munchkin not to be able to share these cookies that she had a hand in making with her friends.

These pumpkin cookies – or, as they will be known in our house from now on, triangle cookies – will be our ambassadors. They will say so many things to those who receive them. I’m now “in charge” of the cookie ministry at our church. Every month, someone takes plates of cookies to the police station and the fire station in our community. My job is to schedule people to do it. Those cookies say a lot, too, just like these triangle cookies will. I’m thinking of you. You’re special. Thank you. I’m praying for you. Get better soon.

Friend likes to laugh at me sometimes, because she knows that gift-giving is my “love language.” Every gift that I give is carefully planned – sometimes neurotically, as the Webmaster points out. Tidbits of people’s likes and dislikes get filed away in my brain, for access at any given time. My dad loves chocolate chip cookies. The Captain loves snickerdoodles. Belle’s Mommy loves mint and chocolate – but not the two combined. Little Cousin’s Mommy loves jam shortbread. Carter’s Mom loves a chocolate dessert, but Carter’s Dad is not a big dessert eater. Doc loves bacon, ham, sausage – anything pork. Scrap Mom hates tomatoes. All these things I remember – and you should see what I remember about non-food things! I have a need to give. Sometimes, I want to give too much, so it’s fortunate that the Webmaster reins me in when I get too ambitious. Most of the time, though, he just smiles at me, because he understands what I’m trying to say. So, today it is cookies that will speak for me. Soon Christmas will be here, and other gifts will speak for me then.

But, here is a cookie for all of you now. Wish that I could actually give you a real one. I hope it says all the things I mean it to.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 at 3:03 am and is filed under Children, General.
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