Senior Community Service Employment Program - Southwest Missouri

Ingredients

1 cup (230g) Butter, softened
2 cups (250g) Flour
2/3 cup (85g) Powdered sugar

Optional Additions:
Vanilla extract
Salt
Sugar for coating

Instructions
Preheat Oven:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar:
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Incorporate Flour:
Add the flour to the creamed mixture and mix until well combined.
If the dough is too soft, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour to adjust consistency.

Shape Cookies:
Option 1: Disk Form
Shape the dough into a disk form, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
After chilling, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch (1/2cm) thickness.
Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes (hearts, rounds, rectangles).

Option 2: Log Shape
Roll the dough into a log shape, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes.
After freezing, unwrap the log and slice it into 1/4-inch (1/2cm) thick slices.

Bake Cookies:
Transfer the shaped cookies onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden.

Cool and Enjoy:
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes.
Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Enjoy your delicious 3-ingredient butter cookies! 🎉

Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

1 lb 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
Kosher salt, to sprinkle
Vegetable oil or extra light olive oil for frying

Instructions:

Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or on the grating disk of a food processor. Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth or a clean, lint-free dishtowel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. You’ll be surprised how much liquid comes out.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper then whisk in the egg. Add in the squeezed dry potatoes and stir until the potatoes are evenly coated in the batter.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1/4” of oil (enough to generously coat the bottom of the pan). Once the oil shimmers, add the batter to the pan 1 heaping tablespoon at a time (or use a trigger-release ice cream scoop) and immediately press with a spatula to form disks. Fry until the edges are browned, 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes more.

Transfer latkes to a paper-towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
Repeat with the remaining potato mixture adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Serve warm latke with sour cream garnished with chives.

These little rascals!!