Jumbals

These cookies are also for George Washington, like the shrewsbury cakes.

I know, ideally, for this cookie project, I shouldn't do two recipes from the same president... but both cookies sounded really good.

These are basically sugar cookies with orange zest in them. I have been writing the recipes on the previous cookie posts... but unless someone wants the recipe itself (if you do, just let me know in a comment, and I will add the recipe to the post), I will do the easier thing and just talk about my experience making them, and the results.

So these started by creaming the butter, sugar, orange zest and salt together. I am gaining in confidence with the mixer, and I remembered how to cream things together from last time. I changed the attachment on the mixer to beat in the egg, and then kept that attachment in as I added the flour. Overall, very easy to make.

The last step was that I was supposed to take the dough and roll small chunks of it long, and then make rings with it. I decided that rings were boring, and started experimenting with different shapes. My first batch had a celtic knot, a letter b, a few rings, and a heart. After they were done cooking, I decided that my favorite look of all of them was the celtic knot (I know... such the American cookie lol), and so I made all of the second batch like that.

The nice thing is that I read previous to baking today that they did make them in a variety of different knot shapes, so I am not so unusual in making them into a knot.

Of the three cookies that I have made so far, these tasted the best to me. The orange isn't that strong, but it adds a really nice flavor to it.

Since I didn't talk about George Washington before, I decided to at least do a small tribute to him, with some random facts about him, and some of his quotes.

---He had false teeth, but they were not made of wood. As a matter of fact, the materials used in his false teeth were probably more uncomfortable than wood. In one set of teeth, his dentist, Dr. John Greenwood, used a cow’s tooth, one of Washington’s teeth, hippopotamus ivory, metal and springs. They fit poorly and distorted the shape of his mouth.

---He did not attend college. The death of his father ended Washington’s formal schooling, however he believed strongly in formal education. In his will, he left money and/or stocks to support three educational institutions.

---In his will, he freed those slaves belonging to him (about 124) and his estate paid for the care of former Mount Vernon slaves for decades after his death. At least nine early presidents owned slaves, but only one - Washington - freed all of his slaves. The remaining slaves at Mount Vernon belonged to the estate of Mrs. Washington’s first husband and were known as dower slaves. By law, Washington had no legal rights to free those individuals. They were eventually inherited by Mrs. Washington’s descendants upon her death in 1802.

---George Washington was the only U.S. President who did not live in the White House, which was not completed until after his death. During his two terms as president, the capital of the United States was located first in New York and then in Philadelphia. George Washington played a large role, however, in the development of the new Federal City named after him, and in overseeing the design of both the Capitol Building and the White House.

The above facts were found at http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm
/pid/808/

Quotes:
I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
George Washington

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.
George Washington

Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.
George Washington

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.
George Washington

(I think that last one was my favorite!)