At work, I am the only man in my block of cubicles.  Being of average height for a man, this means that I stand a little taller than the co-workers in my immediate vicinity.  Here comes the disadvantage, my eye level can see just over the top of the cubicle shelving and see if it is dusty up there.  My co-workers are able to continue life as normal, but every time I get up, there’s that dust staring back at me.  Not a lot of dust, but just enough to motivate me, after seeing it dozens of times.

So as I went home for lunch to let the dog out, I grabbed a can of lemon scented Pledge and headed back to work.  Mind you, I hate dusting at home, but this seemed to be for the greater good of the office.  I could be a hero.

Arriving back at work, my co-workers seemed skeptical and it turns out for good reason.  Sure when I sprayed the top of the storage shelves it helped clear away the dust, including the “Dust Me” comment that some wisenheimer other than myself wrote up there, but it also spread a fine layer of dust particles throughout the office.  I was a walking contaminant.  Also, when I reached to get to the back of the shelves, my undershirt became untucked under my sweater.  Now, there I was a well-meaning-but-poorly-executed no-so-do-gooder who was being inundated with a strong artificial lemony scent, while standing in a haze of dust with my shirt untucked.  Good Lord, the definition of a walking disaster.

Calling it quits after about three storage units, I could claim partial success.  The tops of the units were now clean, but I also looked like a mess and there was no appropriate place to retuck without making a trek out to the restroom.  Ugh, such good intentions gone awry.  Memo to self, next time I get all Martha Stewarty in the office, make sure to wear an extra-long t-shirt, lest I continue to come up a little short in the shirt department.

 Sorry about the lousy photo.  I have them all neatly prepared to bring to a meeting for work and they looked all beautiful on their tray and I forgot to take a picture.  As a result, tonight’s photo features the sad left behind Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs.

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD PUFFS

“Did your day come up a little short?  Do you need a little pick me up?  These simple, but tasty cookies are a little shot of happiness.  Plus, the drizzled icing even makes them look a little classy.  Pop one in your mouth and feel your day start to turn around.  It’s okay, you can thank me later.”

Cookie Ingredients

1 cup Brown Sugar

1¼ cups Butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg Yolk

2¼ cups Flour

Icing Ingredients

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2-3 Tablespoons Milk

1/8 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract (I like the clear vanilla to help keep the icing as white as possible)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream brown sugar and butter.

Mix in the vanilla extract and egg yolk.

Mix in the flour.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, you will want to make sure that the interior fully bakes.

Let cool completely.

Combine the icing’s powdered sugar, milk, and clear vanilla extract.  You will want to gradually add the milk, until the icing becomes the proper consistency to drizzle over the cookies.

Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

 

Makes about 40 cookies.

Revised Source:  “Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs” in the Pillsbury “Best Cookies Cookbook.”

PS – I was so proud of my 11-year-old son Jacob, when I brought out desert to the dinner table and announced that they were “Brown Sugar Shortbread Puffs,” he got up to start playing “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones on his tablet.  Way to go!  Such a proud papa, that’s my boy.

“Brown sugar, you know you taste so good.  Brown sugar, just like I knew you would.”  Way to go Mick, thanks for the baking accompaniment.