National Scrabble Day and a Treat to Spell on

The history of scrabble is one that has its own ups and downs. Much like the game itself the struggle to find the right path is a crisscross kind of situation. Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game of Scrabble in 1933. It was during the great depression when Mr. Butts invented the game based on the concept that popular number games at that time. The key to scrabble then and now was to get points. Butts worked on the game for more than a decade before parterning with James Brunot in 1949. Brunot was a game loving entrepreneur. The partnership worked and in 1949 Burnots made 2,400 sets and lost $450. Scrabble did start to gain in popularity slowly.

In the early 1950's the president of Macy's was away on vacation when he discovered the game and loved it. He ordered some to be sold at the store. Scrabble soon became the "must have" and soon the games were being sold around the country. Now, the game has it's own holiday.

The game of Scrabble is an addictive, brain busting game that delights word nerds and language lovers every where. The U.S. host an annual National Scrabble Championship each year. The group at the top then competes in the world Scrabble Championship. In our area many organizations host scrabble nights to help raise money for special causes.

Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp fresh Meyer Lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
finely grated rind of 1 Meyer Lemon
salt

Put the butter and sugar and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then add the egg yolk and juice and beat in. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and stir until combined. Add the lemon rind and combine once more.

Divide the dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to chill until firm, about 30 min to an hour.

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough, roll to 1/8 inch thick and use a chef's knife to make straight cuts. (A pasty wheel dragged my dough to skewed it, find out what works best for you. If the dough becomes too warm or soft to be transferred to the baking tray, return dough in the refrigerator to chill, 5-10 minutes.

Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until edges turn light brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

To frost the cookies, I used royal icing thinned with a little water. Letters were written using edible markers.