Star Cookies & Comfort (2 page)

“My agent—well, ex-agent now—called to say he’d landed me a gig at the Grand Ole Opry. ‘You’ve finally made it!’ he yelled. And all I had to do to seal the deal was
be nice
to a certain music promoter. ‘Be nice,’ that’s how he put it…” She shook her head. “The worst part is, for a minute there, I almost agreed. Then something snapped inside me, and I thought
no
! I may have sold a good chunk of my life for a handful of glitter, but I will not sell my soul. I packed my car and couldn’t get out of Nashville fast enough. And that’s that.”

“Why, that son of a…” Harvey drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You did the right thing.”

“Y’think? My agent called me a coward and a quitter and a failure.”

“Shows how much he knows.” He slipped a tentative arm around her shoulders, but when she didn’t pull away, grew bolder and tightened his hold into a half hug. “What you did took real guts.”

“Not much. Not really. The fact is if I hadn’t made it in ten years, even an Opry gig probably wouldn’t have helped me. I am a failure, Harvey.”

“Bull feathers. I always thought you sang like an angel.”

“That was the problem.” She couldn’t help laughing. “They don’t want angels in Nashville.”

“That’s their loss. It still doesn’t make you a failure. There’s no shame in reaching for a star, Debbie Dawn.”

“Even if you never catch one?”

“Heck, at least you tried. That’s more than a lot of people ever do. You don’t need to have any regrets about the road not taken.”

He had her there. And in the end her road had brought her to a star—even if it was just a dusty little one-horse town. She stared out the kitchen window at an old tin shed and a sorry strip of back alley choked with dry weeds. Star, Texas wasn’t much to look at, and frankly neither was Harvey, but then beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Both the town and the man looked darned good to Debbie.

So did that plate of cookies on the other side of him. She pressed in close, snaking an arm around and behind him.

“Debbie Dawn, what are you doing?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Harvey. I’m just reaching for a star.”

She caught it, too—a magical sugar-sparkled star that melted on her tongue. Debbie finished it in three bites.

“Mmm…delicious.”

“Yeah? I ain’t tried this batch yet.”

“Oh, poor hungry Harvey. We can’t have that.” She grabbed another one and held it to his mouth.

He crunched into it, his lips grazing her fingers. “Mmm”—his eyes closed in ecstasy—“almost too sweet.”

Somehow she didn’t think he was referring to the cookie.

“Harvey Baker, are you trying to flirt with me?”

“Um…yes, ma’am, I guess I am. But if you can’t tell, I must be doing it wrong.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake, boy, just kiss the girl,” Wanda scolded from the doorway. “What do I gotta do, hold a clump of mistletoe over her head?” She bustled out again as though fully intending to find some amidst the decorations in the living room.

Harvey glanced at Debbie. “Well, it is Christmas Eve. A little mistletoe might not be amiss. Y’know?”

“No, I don’t.” She pretended to scowl at him. “If you need an excuse to kiss me, Harvey, just forget it. You always were too dang shy.”

“Oh, heck…” He anchored her face between his hands and planted a big juicy one square on her pouting lips.

“Mmm, you taste like star cookies,” he murmured. “Only better.”

Yeah, baby!

Sighing, Debbie sank against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt warm and solid and secure—felt just like Harvey. Just like home.

“So, um”—he cleared his throat—“how long you think you’ll be stayin’ in Star?”

“Well now, I’m not sure…” She tilted back her head to gaze into his eyes. He’d lost his glasses during the kiss and was squinting. Debbie didn’t care. “Does forever sound like too long?”

That big silly grin stretched from ear to ear. “No, ma’am, forever sounds just about right.”

Then he kissed her again. Or maybe she kissed him. Either way it worked.

“Merry Christmas, Harvey.”

“Welcome home, Debbie Dawn.”

---

Wanda paused in the kitchen doorway, a sprig of mistletoe in her hand and Bubba purring around her ankles. She smiled down at him.

“I don’t think they’ll be needin’ this after all, do you?”

“
Mrrrooww
,” he answered—his way of saying, God bless us everyone.

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The Recipes:

“Star Cookies”

Buttery Shortbread

1 & 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

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Directions
: Beat the butter with the sugar and vanilla; then beat in the flour, a little at a time, until you have a soft, well-mixed dough. Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a 1-inch thick disc between pieces of waxed paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until it’s firm enough to work with (about 3 hours). When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 F. and lightly flour your rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll out each dough disc to a 1/4-inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. (The star shapes are Debbie’s favorite, of course, but you can use any shape cookie cutters you like.) Arrange on ungreased cookie sheets (the butter content should keep them from sticking) and bake for 8-10 minutes, until set. Eat as is, or decorate as desired. (Makes about 3 dozen.)

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Dots

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

Granulated sugar or Cinnamon sugar

48 milk chocolate candy kisses with the wrappers removed

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Directions
: Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another (large) bowl, blend the peanut butter with the butter, then beat in the sugar, egg and milk. Gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter blend and mix well. Form the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in white granulated sugar (or cinnamon sugar if you’re feeling spicy and daring). Arrange the sugared balls 2-3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake until lightly browned (about 8-10 minutes). As soon as they come out of the oven, while they’re still nice and warm, press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie, then transfer them to wire racks or platters to cool. (Makes 4 dozen.)

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Old-fashioned Penoche

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

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Directions
: Mix the sugar with the milk in a saucepan and boil until the soft ball stage (235-240 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and nuts. Pour into a buttered pan and cut into squares when cool.
Variation
: Omit the pecans and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter instead.

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Classic Oatmeal Cookies

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

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Directions
: Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another (large) bowl, cream the butter with the sugar; then beat in the eggs and vanilla; then beat in the flour mixture. Last, stir in the oats. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake 7-8 minutes for soft and chewy cookies, or 9-10 minutes for crisper ones. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks or platters to finish cooling. (Makes about 4 dozen.)
Variations
: For extra added attraction, you can add some chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, or nuts when you stir in the oatmeal.

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Homemade Pralines

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup cream

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

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Directions
: Combine the sugar, syrup, and cream in a saucepan and boil to the soft ball stage (235-240 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from the heat and beat the mixture until creamy, then fold in the nuts. Drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper and let cool. Alternately, you can pour it into a buttered pan, then cut it into squares.

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Coconut Kisses

4 egg whites

A generous pinch of salt

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut flakes

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Directions
: Preheat oven to 300 F. Beat the egg whites until stiff; then beat in the salt, sugar, and vanilla; then fold in the coconut. Drop by small spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, until firm and dry.

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Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups white chips (the “snowflakes”)

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Directions
: Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry blend to the wet, and mix well. Last, stir in the chips. Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, until set. Let the cookies cool slightly, then transfer them to wire racks or platters to finish cooling.

Happy Holidays!

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About the author…

Mimi Riser is a best-selling, award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. Her books celebrate the upbeat and the offbeat, and “happy endings” are her specialty. She began life in the urban northeast, but now resides in the rural southwest with one husband, two dogs, and more cats than anyone wants to know about.

http://www.mimiriser.com

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The Kitchen Witch Glossary of Cooking Herbs & Spices

The Kitchen Witch Guide to the Timeless Art of Herbal Tea

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