Could This Be It?

Here's a childhood food meme-

I used to play piano for about eight years. You would think I would be good with that many years of training. But to tell you the truth, as much as I loved playing, I loathed piano lessons. I haphazardly practiced between lessons and of course my playing suffered.



Why did I dislike lessons?

Saturdays were when I had lessons. It took up half of the day, and by the time I got out, it was too late to really do anything fun. I missed out on games, shopping trips, parties. And I guess the whole parents forcing me to play thing pissed me off as well.

As much as I didn't like those Saturday lessons, there was one glimmer of hope. My one friend's mother would make these amazing cookies. She called them finger cookies, and I always assumed they were some Filipino treat. It must have been since I remember seeing something like what she made in the Filipino Bread House in Jersey City. Hers were always better of course. I always wanted to get the recipe, but I never got around to asking for it. And now I pay the price.

This I guess could fall under "street food" (lame attempt to participate in LP3) as I remember purchasing look alike cookies from a vendor the last time I was in the Philippines. They didn't taste right. Too dry and I didn't have anything to drink.

I'm actually supposed to be in Organic Chemistry lecture right now (no quiz I hope!!) but I napped longer than I planned on and now I'm just surfing the web before I go get some dinner (hmmm... Japanese perhaps?!?)

The Domestic Goddess has a recipe for finger cookie. Now I'm eager to make some tonight and see if this is the cooking I've been searching for. It won't be in that finger shape, but rather rolled between the fingers. It would look like a curvy woman with just one extra curve. I'm not sure how else to explain it.

The Domestic Goddess's Sweet Severed Fingers

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sliced almonds
1 egg white or a small amount of royal icing

directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugars, egg and vanilla and mix well.

2. Add the flours, baking powder and salt and beat until completely mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F. Roll about a tablespoon of dough between your hands to form a finger (or toe!) shape for each cookie. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

4. Slightly flatten the front of the finger to create a nailbed and use a butter knife to make knuckle marks on your fingers. Brush the nail bed with egg white or royal icing and press an almond slice into each one to make a nail.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until fingers are slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Serve with chocolate ice cream, a mud pie or just atop cocoa and turbanado "cemetary earth".