Memories of the Past by Sterling
Who inherited
Verna’s Ateco Cookie Maker (see attachment) from her kitchen supplies when she
moved in with Roger and her house was sold? Does it still exist somewhere? This
was brought to my attention when I found the scrap of paper, shown in the
attachment, among Verna’s letters to Leonard when he was on his mission that
Carolyn allowed me to review.
This cookie maker was a big fascination
in my youth and holds a special spot in my memory. There were many parts and
pieces to attract a young child’s attention. It was an aluminum tube, finely
threaded on each end, with screw on caps to close them off. One cap would hold
one of many changeable disks with various patterns that the shortbread cookie
dough would be pressed through to form the cookie. The other end cap was the
crank and plunger to press the dough through the tube. I spent many happy hours
examining this item, assembling it, turning the crank so the plunger would
extend and retract, all the time imagining what form the cookies would be and
so forth. What I remember and cherish most are the days when mother would
actually make the cookie dough. Then it was a struggle among the children over
who and how long each of us could turn the crank. It was a delight trying to
keep the flow steady, and getting the output to the cookie sheet in the correct
form. Allow your imagination to reenact that scene in her kitchen with two or
three children involved. It was a fun time for us and now as I look back I
marvel at mother’s patience. She made it fun. The cookies tasted so good fresh
out of the oven. They didn’t take long to cool and they didn’t last any time at
all. A choice and happy memory you created for us dear Mother.
Sterling
I
enjoyed both making and eating the same cookies mentioned by Sterling. I
even purchased a similar device that was battery powered so I could replicate
the childhood memory. Didn't work! My cookie dough never tasted
like Mother's and the battery power didn't allow a smooth steady operation so
the stream of cookie dough would break. Sometimes low-tech is best.
Who does have the real thing??
Carolyn
Margaret thinks that we have the cookie maker. She
has one like it & has used it every year to make Christmas cookies. Jerry
