Cookies Designed to Dunk

Image courtesy of Matt Pecina.

Founder of Studio Guapo and co-curator of Pink Essay, Matt Pecina is guided by his love for design. The New York-based artist and designer’s diverse portfolio spans custom merchandise to a sleek, D.I.Y. rocking chair. In 2023, he co-launched Designheads, a Substack newsletter celebrating radical design subcultures. For Family Style, Pecina shares a sugar cookie recipe he calls “perfect for dunking in milk, coffee, or tea,” that was passed down two decades ago from his “play grandma,” Lala. Pecina emphasizes that no family recipe is complete without adding "a lot of love into the batch."

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Ingredients

• 3-pound can of butter-flavored Crisco shortening
• 5-pound bag of Gold Metal all-purpose flour (save about 1 ½ inches of flour in the bag to use on your hands and on the tin can used as a cookie press)
• 5 pounds of Imperial Sugar
• 8 to 10 eggs
• 8 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3 tablespoons spoons of vanilla
• 12 ounce can Pet evaporated milk (use only ½ to almost ¾ of a can)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place flour on table or very large bowl.
3. Add baking powder to flour.
4. Add beaten eggs a few at a time.
5. Cream Crisco and sugar together, add to flour mixture and knead.
6. Add the evaporated milk a little at a time.
7. Add the vanilla.
8. Knead until smooth using flour on your hands to keep it from sticking
9. Form 4 large balls and knead well.
10. Form small balls and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
11. Use a small tin can with circle grooves to press the cookies down (flour the bottom of the tin can occasionally).
12. Bake for 12 to 15 min until edges are slightly brown.
13. Place on cooling rack.
14. Eat and share with love.

Image courtesy of Matt Pecina.