making magic full moon cookies
Who doesn't like a delicious sugar cookie? I feel like sugar cookies are attached to memories and ideas of holidays and family activities. It wasn't very strange to me, a few years back, to learn that my sister offered yummy, frosted sugar cookies to the moon goddess when she was full. I thought, how sweet is that? I think hers at least that time were store bought and still delightful. I decided to make my own. I searched for a sugar cookie recipe and most that I found were on the crunchier side and were good for decorating. I enjoyed that activity if others were already involved and I just needed to join in, but I never had an urge to get into all the frosting and sprinkles! To be honest, it made too much of a mess and I am not a neat person. I HATE cleaning up! No, I needed a simpler recipe that I could make my own somehow. I found this recipe on a baking blog called addapinch.com. Thank you, Robyn!
This recipe has become a favorite for many special people in my life. When I make these cookies, I fill them not only with the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla in the recipe, but I fill them with love, and positive intention. I think about everyone who might eat one, and I make a wish for this little cookie to be exactly what that person enjoying it needs at that moment in time. I learned that magic is an extension of my heart, soul and body. This is why baking with magic has to be done from desire, not obligation. It needs to be done from peace not chaos, and from love and happiness, not from anger or sadness. I've really messed up a batch or two baking with my crappy attitude. and right into the trash they went.
When I started making this recipe, I only brought them in to share with my coworkers after I knew my family loved them. I didn't talk a lot about my faith or my practicing magic. I think I told them they were full moon cookies. I’m sure I didn't offer; they were in fact magic cookies. The result was appreciation and many comments, "Mel these cookies are amazing!' "Mel, how is each one the same shape and color?" "Mel! What is your secret?" "Oh my god Mel! I have never had a sugar cookie so perfect." Finally, after a few months of sharing them, I told someone, "Well funny you should ask, but they are magic." I followed up with a wink. This led to laughter and a few questions. That was when I "came out" as a witch to my co-workers in a catholic hospital. It was a little scary, but it felt right, and it felt authentic. Timing was everything.
For much of my life I hid little things about myself, and the longer I lived, it seemed harder to keep track of what I was showing and what I was hiding, until one day I couldn't even express what I liked and didn't like. I couldn't decide how I felt about things that seemed very important. In short, I didn’t know myself anymore. I wondered if I ever did. When I started practicing magic and honoring my ancestors and spirit guides it felt like a blanket was lifted from over my head. There was more fresh air, more sunlight, more anticipation for each day and each season. I wanted to be creative again. I started singing. I started moving and dancing. I started writing. All of this I did for myself, and I realized that my creativity was directly linked to my potential for health and happiness! Every day, I am here for it. I show up for myself. Every day I try to share a little of myself with someone else. Some days it is still hard to do all the things I want to do. I can wake up sometimes and feel absolutely miserable and getting out of bed is the hardest thing to do. I still sometimes start to shame myself; you should do more, you should have been nicer, you could have been more generous. What’s different is now I have a voice in my head, part mine, and mostly my ancestors and goddess say, you don't need to do all the things every day, just do some of the things every day and the rest of the things will be there when you have more time.
Today, I am baking. I am baking my Magic Full Moon Cookies. These are soft and chewy cookies with a salty buttery flavor topped with coarse silver sugar sprinkles. I use unsalted butter because that is what we keep in my fridge. Bring that and the egg to your kitchen counter to come to room temperature. I try to do this the night before, or sometimes before I leave for work in the morning. I use Kosher salt and pure vanilla extract in these cookies. They are good with iodized table salt and imitation vanilla but "not the same" good. Trust me. I bake these on the eve of the full moon to share the day the moon is the fullest. I underbake these cookies, the recipe calls for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I start with 8 minutes and check each minute after . I think they are perfect when you start to see a slight browning on the bottom edges. They still look very soft and if you dared to press into the center of one as I have, they still feel like they are not quite ready, but if you see that slight browning bring them out and start them cooling on the pan. After 5 minutes on the pan, bring them to a cooling rack. Oh they are so good warm with milk or tea or with nothing. These are perfect cookies. They are even more perfect when baked with your intention. State it to the universe and hold it in your heart and thoughts while you are mixing these up. You will not regret it! If you make them please share your thoughts and photos if you like and watch the attached video of me in my kitchen baking my Magic Full Moon Cookies. I believe that dancing while these are in the oven and cooling, and sometimes the wine I drink, adds to my magic, but you can find your own sparkle! Just make it yours and don't apologize for it! Have fun and be yourself, it's your kitchen! It's your sweet life!
Magic Full Moon Cookies
2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sparkling silver sugar sprinkles
1)on the eve of the full moon let all of your ingredients sit on your countertop,
particularly the butter and egg. They should be room temperature.
2) meanwhile, prepare a workspace and invite spirit to attend, cleanse your space (burn sage or incense)
Cleanse your tools and the ingredients by holding them over the smoke as I say something like,
"Spirit please let my tools and ingredients in my hands create a cookie that is just what the
people I make them for need, and they might feel happier for having eaten one. May they also
feel the love and good intention that I have for them. Thank you spirit, and so it will be."
3) While working, you can play music you like. I like relaxing calm music for the preparation and mixing. While they bake and cool, I dance!
NOW MAKE THE DOUGH
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper, this is important.
Cream Butter and Sugar until very light and fluffy. Usually about 2-3 minutes.
I go until it "feels right."
Add egg and mix until smooth. Again, this can take a couple of minutes with a hand mixer, but I often use my wooden good spoon and it takes as long as it takes. builds muscles too! It will look shiny and smooth.
Then add next four ingredients. Sometimes towards the end of mixing, the dough can get very heavy for your hand mixer and for your arm! sometimes I like to get into it with my bare hands to finish mixing because I love how the dough feels in my hands. It is very moist and buttery so a bit sticky, it's OK to be messy.
Put about a 1/4 cup of silver sugar sprinkles into a small bowl or on a saucer.
Make tablespoon sized balls with dough, if desired chill the dough beforehand it will make it a little easier to
handle) and dab one side into the silver sprinkles, and then place them, sugar side up on your papered cookie sheets.
You don't have to, but I prefer to flatten my sugared dough balls with a spatula before Baking for 8-10 minutes.
Cookies should be lightly browned on the bottom and still white and sparkly silver on the top. Don’t forget to cool them on the pan for
5 minutes and then place on a cooling rack until completely cool.