For Boston: Boston Cookies

On Wednesday night, Thatboy had a nightmare.  It involved the three of us in a plane crash in the streets of LA where there were in hiding because of the street warfare/rioting.  When we awoke on Friday, Thatboy told me it was like his dream had come true.  There was a war going on in the streets of Boston, he told me.  While we waited for Thatbaby to wake up, we updated ourselves on the news.  A deadly manhunt for the Marathon bombers. 

Friday, like most of the country, I spent the workday alternating between work and live feeds of the manhunt progress.  When we were both home, I updated Thatboy with the lack of success.  We ate and I headed out for my run, thinking about the people of Boston, the community trying to heal, lacking closure, and still in fear.

I ran into my neighbor as I returned from my run.  "They caught him" she informed me, and filled me in on the details.  No preface was needed.  That simple sentence - she knew I would know what she was referring to.  We all, as a nation, were of one mind.

And on Friday, we joined as a nation - not in celebration, because there is nothing to celebrate.  The catching of a terrorist isn't laudable, because there is still so much sadness connected with the act.  But we joined as a nation in a sigh of relief.  That at least we could sleep a little easier that night.  That there would be no more gunfire or explosions on the streets of Boston.  No more innocent lives lost in relation to this incident.

It's a feeling of comfort, knowing that we as a nation can come together and fight an injustice.  A feeling of safety, knowing the men and women in law enforcement risk their lives so we may be protected.  And so I made cookies.  Not just any cookies.  Boston cookies.  You know my love for the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  Fannie Farmer, the author of the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, includes in her book a recipe for Boston cookies.  There's no explanation as to the name, but the description is : "Chewy, wholesome, full of good tastes and textures."  And the idea of a wholesome cookie, filled with good taste seems to be just what we need right about now.

Boston Cookies (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

4 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup flour

1/ tsp baking soda

few grains of salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

12 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 and butter some cookie sheets.  Cream the butter.
2. Gradually add the sugar, mixing well.
3. Beat in the egg.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to the first mixture, blending thoroughly.
5. Add the nuts and raisins and mix well.  Arrange by spoonfuls, 1 inch apart o the cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, or until delicately brown.