Fancy Nancy Makes Cookies

Hi everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I'm yearning for something fancy.

 Have you ever seen these children's books?

Fancy Nancy books (by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Priess Glasser, published by Harper Collins) are geared to preschool girls, but my boys love them, too. A little girl who has to do everything in the FANCY way. She even throws out little French phrases, so I've got a warm spot in my heart for Nancy.

 

  I know it's Lent and we should all be eating bread and water. But what about Sunday? What about visitors? What about... that ending on Downton Abbey??

 

RIGHT?? Sometimes we need a little fancy to get us through the week.
So, instead of the usual chocolate chip cookies, I decided to make some Fancy Nancy cookies.
 These aren't particularly hard to make, but they're definitely not your average after-school cookie.
When I brought out the recipe, Edna accused me of being influenced by Goldie, the new teacup. Was I going to make everything ten time as complicated as normal, just to be showy? Then again, is showy all bad?
Maybe... Maybe not. Let's try it and see.

Preheat oven to 350F.

 So, the base of the RASPBERRY CRUMBLE COOKIE is a standard shortbread.
1/2 pound butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp oure vanilla
2 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all these ingredients until just combined. Form into a ball and take 2/3 and pat into the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Leave a bit of the shortbread for about 1/2 inch of dough going up the side.

Spread your raspberry jam (most of a jar, if using all raspberry) on the bottom. I had some apricot, so I used that, too. Spread it to about 1/2 from the sides.

Now, the other 1/3, mix with 2/3 cup granola (no dried fruit, it will burn). This will be the topping.

The original recipe has 3/4 sliced almonds but I couldn't find them anywhere. I may have pulverized them for a pie crust. I don't remember exactly. Anyway, they weren't in the pantry. :P

Break the granola-shortbread dough into small pieces and sprinkle on top. Bake about 45 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Here they are, cooled and cut and ready for the tea party. Edna relented and said that Goldie and her friends were invited to the festivities, so in the end we did have a wonderful time together.

I'm gearing up to start another historical romance, set at the turn of the century and these old-style crumble bookies were just what I needed for plotting.
Who am I KIDDING?? I do not plot.
But in honor of Speedbo (Seekerville's version of NaNoRiMo), I'm definitely thinking... deeply... about plots while I eat cookies.

Of course, I also will be 'plotting' while I refurbish this old trunk I found super cheap. The canvas can't be saved, but I'm hoping to strip and laquer the pine underneath.
Edna is pretending to be uninterested, but she keeps shooting glances at this handsome trunk. Who can blame her?? But he does need a bit of perking up.

Until next time, indulge in a bit of fanciness to get you through the week!