Angel Food Cookies

Yield: 4 Dozen

Angel Food cookies are a sugar cookie with flaked coconut and banana flavoring. The recipe comes from my maternal grandmother who was a great baker and one of my baking role models. The original recipe calls for oleo (old-fashioned margarine) and for greasing and flouring the cookie sheets, something which we don't do today. Banana extract may sound like an odd ingredient, but the McCormick flavoring available in my grocery store really does taste exactly like banana and is good in all sorts of baked goods and also in milkshakes and smoothies.

1 cup oleo (use 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1 cup shortening) * 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg, beaten 1/4 tsp. salt 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 cup flaked coconut 1 tsp. banana extract extra granulated sugar for dipping

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix the butter/shortening and sugars until creamy. Beat in the egg and banana extract. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add to the sugar mixture. Add coconut and mix well. Roll the dough into small balls, dip the top in water and then into granulated sugar (if the dough is too soft, refrigerate it a little to make it easier to roll). Place the rolled and dipped cookies on a greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper) with the sugared side up. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not overbake, these cookies should be tender and pale in color. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to move to a rack without breaking them.

* Don't use all butter in this recipe as the cookies will spread too much.