By Skylar Zachian || Contributing Writer
Happy Autumn, F&M! It is officially that time of year when we kick off the flip flops, throw on flannels, switch from iced to hot coffee, and spend hours debating the merits of pumpkin spice. In honor of the new season, I would like to share with you a fall recipe which I hold close to my heart. Now, you might want to get out some paper and a writing implement because this recipe is going to be a hard one to follow.
Step 1: Muster up the energy to walk across the street to CVS, or if you’re willing to go the extra mile, hop on the Lancaster Loop and head over to your preferred grocery store.
Step 2: Saunter over to the refrigerated foods section. Look for an orange box labeled Pillsbury Pumpkin Shape™ Sugar Cookie Dough and a purple box labeled Pillsbury Ghost Shape™ Sugar Cookie Dough.
Step 3: Purchase said cookie dough.
Step 4: Locate an oven, preheat the oven to 350°, place those bad boys on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Step 4: Pour yourself some apple cider while you wait for the cookies to bake. Make sure you warm it in the microwave! Cold apple cider will not lead to a premium cookie experience. Caution: Contents will be extremely hot and you will burn the roof of your mouth if you drink right away.
Step 5: Remove the cookies from the oven and wait for them to cool. Caution: Contents will be hot! If you are predisposed to impatient tendencies (i.e. if you are the kind of person who would find yourself drinking apple cider before it has the chance to cool), your cookie experience will be far less enjoyable, and you will most definitely find yourself awkwardly half chewing, half breathing out fire like a dragon.
Ta-da. That is the recipe. Pre-packaged Pillsbury cookies. Did I mention that I don’t know how to bake?
Now, let’s get to the real reason that these cookies are my prized fall recipe (and yes, I will continue to call it a recipe since it involves the use of an oven). As plain sugar cookies not drenched in overly-sweet icing, these baked goods have the potential to pair well with virtually any other food item or beverage. Therefore, these cookies serve as a perfect light and airy fall dessert.
What really makes these cookies reign supreme is their portrayal of fun, halloween themed characters. Who could be anything but overjoyed while staring at a smiling jack-o-lantern and an ironically un-scary ghost… in cookie form!
Furthermore, although the purple ghost cookie and the orange pumpkin cookie are composed of quite literally the exact same ingredients, there is something about alternating between taking bites from a purple cookie and an orange cookie that adds an extra layer of joy to the fall themed dessert eating process.
If you have yet to try these life-changing cookies, run- don’t walk- to the nearest grocery store, or hop on the shuttle! Remember, it is crucial to invest in both the ghost and the pumpkin cookies (but if you must choose one, I would recommend the ghosts, as their smiles are beyond adorable).
First-year Skylar Zachian is a Contributing Writer. Her email is szachian@fandm.edu.