Parting the Mists

After posting today’s card where we talked about some Samhain divination traditions, it made me think about these cookies that I used to make for Samhain ritual. Truly, they are just simple sugar cookies with rosemary added in; rosemary is the herb of remembrance, which I’ve written about before.

When cut into the shapes of people or hearts, these rosemary sugar cookies are a symbol of remembrance of those who have gone before us. Some of the cookies could be eaten while telling stories or attributes of ancestors or those who have passed in the previous year. Leave some cookies by a bonfire or outdoors as an offering to the spirits traveling that night. 

While this recipe doesn’t include anything sweet on top of the cookies like frosting or a sanding sugar or glaze, one could add that if desired.

Remembrance Cookies

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and rosemary until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture and beat until dough is smooth. Refrigerate for three hours.

Divide dough into halves. Roll out half the dough to 3/16 of an inch on a floured surface. Cut out with gingerbread women and men cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Bake for five to seven minutes, remove from oven, and let sit on cookie sheet a couple minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.