Mix it up Monday

So I have decided to ride the wave of Halloween enthusiasm. We spend a lot of time talking about whether or not it is Halloween, what we are going to dress up as for Halloween, pumpkins and ghosts in general. I find all this interest in Halloween a little strange since this is the same child who will turn the TV off and declare, "I don't like giants" at any hint of a freakishly tall character. I also had to retrieve him from the top of the Chick-fil-a play structure last week because he was sobbing over one of the other children "roaring" at him. So, yeah, I really didn't think Halloween would be up his alley.
In keeping with the Halloween frenzy, he and I baked sugar cookies last week. Before you log off thinking, "Yawn...sugar cookies. So boring, I can buy those in the refrigerated section". But these are different than any sugar cookie you have made, unless you are my mother, in which case you can stop reading. This recipe was my Great Great Grandmother's. Don't worry, the release of the family secret was okayed by the higher ups. The big differences in this recipe is brown sugar versus the standard white granulated sugar and now, wait for it...
NUTMEG. Mmmm, I love nutmeg and it certainly gives these cookies a distinct flavor. And color. These cookies won't look like what you think a sugar cookie looks like, they are much darker. Try them and let me what you think.

My Brown Sugar Cookies
3/4 c. Crisco (or butter, softened)
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
nutmeg (my copy of the recipe just says nutmeg, so I put in everything I had, about 1 T. - so about that is good)

-Beat Crisco, sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer or mix with a spoon. Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
-Cover and chill at least 2 hours (try not to eat all the dough while your child is napping)
-Heat oven to 400 degrees.
-Lightly grease cookie sheet (I use a silicon baking sheet)
-Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes
-Bake 4-5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.

A few (more) tips: The dough is pretty sticky, so generously flour your surface for rolling. I also found it works best to only roll out a small amount of dough (about 1/3-1/4) at a time and leave the rest in the refrigerator.