JUST A SPOONFUL OF DETERMINATION

I was peeking into the Acme archives and ran across one of my favorite posts, which I thought would be appropriate to offer again before the holidays. Crystal is a friend of mine who is blind and completed a challenging pastry arts program. Her sour cream sugar cookie recipe (included below) can be used to make cutout cookies and decorated. I prefer to drop them by spoonfuls onto cookies sheets, sprinkle with raw sugar, and stand impatiently by the oven screaming, "HURRY UP!"

I love this story as much as I love these cookies!

From an original post dated May, 2006

Being courageous is relative. The skills, strengths, and knowledge we now possess are a result of many factors. Our family's influence, financial resources, social circles, schooling and many random choices over the course of our life have forged the tools we have at our disposal. We tend to view the accomplishments of others through our own paradigms which frequently distort the real picture. This sometimes creates indigents out of extraordinary people and superheroes out of everyday folk.

I know a young girl named Crystal who likes to cook. She considered herself an "okay" cook but didn't feel her talents warranted an illustrious career in the culinary arts. However her family and friends were constantly delighted with her kitchen skills and encouraged her to pursue a career in the field. After high school graduation, she applied to the California Culinary Academy and was accepted in their pastry arts program. An excited Crystal prepared for her move to San Francisco. She was like most of the other new students and found herself both nervous and excited on her first day at school. Where she was very unlike most other students lies in the fact that Crystal is blind.

Crystal was prepared to take whatever extra steps were necessary to complete her studies with the rest of her class. She arrived early each day to become familiar with the day's lessons as she had discovered that it often took twice as long as the other students to finish her assignments. One test final included creating a wedding cake in which Crystal spent over 80 hours creating the sugar flowers that would eventually adorn the magnificent layers of sweet cake and frosting. Her instructor told her that they were some of the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen.

wwwhhhhiiirrrrrrrrrrrr!
I love this machine!

Crystal accomplished this in spite of the fact that many people doubted her. When she applied to the State Department of Rehabilitation for vocational assistance, her case counselor informed Crystal that they would deny her any financial assistance unless she looked into a career, "more suitable to a blind person". She often encountered incredulous stares from other students as she walked the halls of the campus using her long white cane. One evening while boarding public transportation on her way home from school somebody remarked loudly, "Does that school have no morals? How could they let a blind person go there?" That particularly cruel (and uninformed) comment nearly caused her to abandon the pursuit of her dreams. However, she was able to reconnect with her belief in herself and returned to campus the next day. The constant reassuring of her friends, chefs, and fellow students helped her stay focused and complete her curriculum.




Looking back, Crystal has some great stories to tell. The stories, however, are not about super-human feats or overcoming impossible odds. What these stories, and the stories of many like her, convey is that Crystal was determined to succeed. She arrived early to familiarize herself with her workspace. She relied on public transportation to commute each day. Crystal completed the exact same tasks that other students completed. She simply used her determination, and some common sense, to find alternate techniques that allowed her to complete the tasks.



Crystal has her feet planted firmly on the ground. However, she shared a favorite cookie recipe that I'm absolutely convinced these cookies came from another world that is much more beautiful than our own!


SOUR CREAM SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup shortening or butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening or butter and sugars together for 7-8 minutes until nice and well aerated. Then add egg and mix until well incorporated. Next add sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add all dry ingredients until well incorporated. You can use a cookie cutter, but Crystal rolls the dough into 1-inch balls and places on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until desired color and crispness is reached. You may sprinkle a little raw sugar on top for a touch of additional sweetness.

**I love these cookies. I have made them as written and with the addition of chunks of white chocolate and toasted cashews, which I think makes these impossible to put down! These are unassuming looking cookies but trust me, you will not be able to stop popping these into your mouth! My guy took a batch to his office and everybody wanted to know what was in them. Thank you Crystal!