Gratitude Box

By Prachi Grover

There is something I like to do with my little chefling every December as the year ends – be grateful for the year gone by. Often we fail to appreciate the people who make our lives beautiful. Sitting down with Sara and making our little list helps her (and me!) introspect on the year gone by and committing those people to memory. All those times when granny read the same story a million times made her summer happier, that one time when her friend saved that last cookie for Sara made her evening sweeter, each day when “lift uncle” smiles & says hi to her when she is leaving for school, makes her morning better. Amidst the baubles & the glitter, the gorgeous spreads on our dinner tables & the gifts we are yet to unwrap, a little thank you note to the people who matter helps us celebrate this year and the people in our lives.

Here’s a little something for the two people who make sure Sara goes to and comes back from school safe and happy, all year round – her “bus uncle” and “bus aunty” (- the school bus driver & bus nanny) – an Indian Trail Mix that they can munch on in between their tiring shifts and Thank You Cookies to make them feel extra special. For the thank you note, you will need yellow paper and a black marker. 

For the cookies:

  • 90 gms unsalted butter, softened
  • 100 gms fine sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 220 gms flour
  • 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • icing sugar to brush each cookie
  • ‘Thank you’ stamps

For packing:

  • small rectangular boxes to resemble a bus
  • little transparent bags to pack the cookies into
  • yellow paper, black marker, sticky tape, pencil and ruler

Method

For the cookies:

  1. Beat the butter and the sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat further.
  2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Fold and bring it together like a ball of dough. If the ball is too sticky, add a little more flour.
  4. Allow the ball to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
  5. After an hour, preheat the oven to 180º Celsius.
  6. Sprinkle your kitchen shelf liberally with flour and roll out the dough to about 1⁄2 cm thick.
  7. Cut into shapes of your choice and inscribe the words thank you on it. Take care that the words need to be mirror image of the words “Thank You”.
  8. Bake for about 8-12 minutes. The cookies will be golden at the edges and little soft. They will harden once allowed to cool outside.
  9. While still a little warm brush them with icing sugar and dust away the excess.

For the buses:

  1. Measure and cut enough yellow paper so there is enough to wrap around the box.
  2. Put the cookies into the transparent plastic and seal with the sticky tape.
  3. Now, pack the cookies into the box and then wrap the yellow paper around it. Stick the edges.
  4. With a marker, draw the wheels and the windows of the “bus”. Your THANK YOU bus is ready!
[This recipe and story is exclusive to FoodeMag dxb] 

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