ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI: RING IN HOLIDAYS WITH PECAN LACE COOKIES

The holiday season of 1951 was an exciting one for Mother and Daddy. They had a new baby girl, Angela Fay Thompson. Somehow, they made room for me in their 10-by-30-foot trailer at Mississippi State, where Daddy was a junior Ag major. He was an honor student, taking 20 class hours and working part-time for the school's dairy operation.

The campus grocery store sold coupon books good for a month. At the first of each month, Mother and Daddy bought a coupon book. Sometimes the pickings were a little slim by the month's end, but they always managed, and Mother would even make little surprise treats for Daddy. Most often a pecan treat like Pecan Lace Cookies, because pecans were his favorite.

In 1951 circumstances kept them from going home to Hardin County in Tennessee until Christmas Eve. One of those circumstances was that Daddy had the opportunity to work extra hours. He would rise at 4 a.m. and head to the dairy barn. On this particular morning the wind was cutting right through him as he trudged along. The cows were fretful, the equipment was slow. Daddy sought a thermometer, to see just what the temperature reading was. It was six degrees below zero.

When Daddy finally made his way home, steaming Maxwell House coffee with a touch of cream and warm Pecan Lace Cookies were waiting for him. He and Mother wiled the afternoon away with light-hearted laughter. Even at 3 months old, I knew that there was magic in their laughter. My best childhood memory is falling asleep to the floating melody of their laughter. To this day, those caressing echoes of laughter bring comfort to me in the stillness of the night.

Pecan Lace Cookies

1/4 cup butter flavor shortening

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup pecan piecesPreheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine butter flavor shortening, corn syrup, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.

2. Mix flour into creamed mixture at low speed until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.

3. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough four inches apart onto baking sheet. Bake five minutes or until edges are golden brown. Chips and pecans will remain in center while dough spreads out. Do not overbake.

4. Cool two minutes on baking sheet. Lift cookie edge with edge of spatula. Grasp cookie edge gently and lightly pinch off flute of the edge, bringing it up to the chips and pecans in center. Work around each cookie until completely fluted. Remove to cooling rack.

Yield: About three dozen cookies.

Angie Holtzhouser is author of Drop Dumplin's and Pan-Fried Memories ... Along the Mississippi. Her cookbook is available at local bookstores. In addition, it can be purchased through the mail at: Drop Dumplin's, P.O. Box 10, Lilbourn, Mo. 63862. The price is $19.95, including tax and shipping.

Visit Angie at her Web site, www.cookingwithangie.comAngie Holtzhouser is author of Drop Dumplin's and Pan-Fried Memories ... Along the Mississippi. Her cookbook is available at local bookstores. In addition, it can be purchased through the mail at: Drop Dumplin's, P.O. Box 10, Lilbourn, Mo. 63862. The price is $19.95, including tax and shipping.