The Feast of the Magi...A Day Late ;^)

Hi, Everyone!

 

Yes, in my world even the Magi might be a day late...

 

and it would be okay.

 

January 6th was actually the Feast of the Magi,

 

and I was prepared to make my Camel Cookies...

 

But then, Jonathan and Mr. B wanted me to watch

 

The Return of the King...

 

(just not those Kings) ~

 

...we had spent the previous two evenings

 

watching the first and second movies in the

 

 Lord of the Rings trilogy (I know, I'm way behind),

 

and I didn't want to disappoint ~

 

They were educating me in the ways of Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves...

 

Before I see The Hobbit ~

 

So I decided that it wouldn't hurt to wait another day for cookie-baking...

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A couple of weeks ago I re-found the copper camel cookie-cutter



that Mr. B made me when Jonathan was small,



and I decided that we needed to make Camel Cookies again.



We'd started the tradition in 2000 after I saw the recipe



in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine,



and because I thought it would be something I could actually keep up with;



something that didn't have to be done in the rush before Christmas,



but in the more relaxed days after...



and still be right on time!



Well, that was the plan, anyway.



We kept it up for quite a while, then gradually the poor Magi



got later and later, and then we kind of forgot about the



little camels.



So, this year, I decided we'd revive the tradition.



First I had to get the magazine again...



(I'd had them all at one time, before the fire.)



I could have just made sugar cookies, but I remembered how good



the little frosted shortbread cookies were...



and I looked on eBay.



There it was!



I could usually remember what was in certain issues of



Home Companion by the art that was on the cover ~ of the earlier ones, anyway.



But, to make sure, I asked the seller before I bid if there was a recipe for



Camel Cookies in there ~ :^)



The Canadian seller was a sweet lady named Joyce who offered



 to just e-mail me the recipe...♥



I told her I would like to have the Home Companion again, as well,



but would appreciate it if she would send the recipe in case



 the magazine didn't arrive in time, so she did...



then went out of her way to mail the magazine when she



had business in the States, to save me money (I got it really quickly, too!) ~



We (as Bloggers, of course!) already know that there are still lots of



kind people in the world, but it's always nice to run into one, isn't it?



Thank you again, Joyce!



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Here's everything we used ~ very simple ingredients.

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I must have not used a sifter when we made the cookies when



Jonathan was small, because he said "Have we always had this??"~



And proceeded to do the sifting for me.



Fascinating, sifters!



I washed it very well first because I had just used it last week to



sift the mica for those little bleached trees....(Oops!)



~



Okay, here is the recipe...



FROSTED SHORTBREAD COOKIES



You can make the adaptable dough into a cylinder, refrigerate it until



it is firm, and then slice it into rounds...



Or, press into a cake pan, cut into squares or diamonds



(or camels)



and bake. Cookies can be frozen or stored in an airtight container



for a week or so.



Makes two dozen cookies, depending on shape.



2 sticks unsalted butter



3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar



1/4 teaspoon salt



1 teaspoon vanilla



2 cups sifted all-purpose or unbleached flour



6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips



(I used the meltable chocolate wafers instead, which came in their own little



container and didn't require the addition of shortening)



1 teaspoon vegetable shortening (if using regular chocolate chips)



~



1. Cream butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in large bowl.



2. Add flour and beat until well mixed.



Form cookie dough into a flattened round and wrap in wax paper;



refrigerate for at least an hour.



3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.



4. Roll cookie dough 1/4 thick on a lightly floured surface.



Cut into shapes and bake on ungreased cookies sheets for 20-25 minutes



until they are still pale and just beginning to turn light brown.



Let cool on rack.



5. Melt chocolate chips with vegetable shortening on top of a double



boiler over simmering water.



Dip cooled cookies in mixture or spread with a pastry knife.



Place on waxed paper until chocolate hardens.



Enjoy!

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Ours looked pretty much like these!

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So glad that I still have my Mom's rolling pin...

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A herd of camels...

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Made even better with Chocolate...

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Jonathan put a little fez on this one...;^)

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And here they are!



Ready to carry the Wise Men to follow the Star!



These Wise Men were my Mom's, purchased in 1968.



They look "60s"-ish, don't you think?



Mod-Magi.



I love them, though...♥

~



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Here is one of my favorite Christmas things, a Santa cookie jar...



 from William Joyce's Santa Calls...



Love him! ~ I'm putting away Christmas for the most part,



but he gets to stay out for a little while longer ~

~



~


One more thing...



Another vintage Woolworth's photo ~ a window display of ornaments...



(Time machine....!!)



Good night, all ~ have a great Tuesday!


♥