SpaceMika

The earthquake rather overshadowed Polar Bear Day, so I’m going to extend my celebration with a very nice article analyzing the genetic similarities of polar bears and grizzlies, and suggesting that polar bears have rapidly adapted to a changing environment before so might be able to survive the current slow-motion catastrophe.

Every year on this day, I check on the status of polar bears. This past year, we learned polar bear cubs look very cute when they hitch a ride, and that their purple tongues are very, very long.

Cute, yet vicious, my favourite of bears are a marvel of physics. Did you know they retain heat so efficiently that in infrared, you can only see between their toes and the tip of their noses? Amazing!

Today I decided to use up various items in my fridge that are starting to eyeball their expiration dates. Finding this recipe resulted from good luck while using one of the aforementioned almost-expired ingredients as a keyword.

Cream 1 c sugar + 1/2 c butter
Mix 1 egg yolk + 1.5 tsp vanilla extract + 1.5 tsp rosewater extract + 1.5 tsp lemon juice
Mix all above + 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 c sour cream + 3 c flour + pinch of salt

Cool dough, roll, and cut. I used a tiny polar bear cookie cutter; the dough expands only slightly during baking so the details remain distinct. Bake at 325F for 15 min. End result is approximately 400 cookies the size of animal crackers with a very mellow and unusual flavour.

Polar Bears that are ferocious yet rosey sweet.

The cookies are delicious on their own, with tea, or with cream and jam (akin to High Tea Scones). I suspect they’d also be great with a strong cheese. I suspect they won’t last long enough to find out how well they store.

update 8/21: I tried a modified version with vanilla yogurt and cocoa, and with 50/50 powdered and brown sugar (I was out of white). The texture is very strange, far too flakey and difficult to roll.

update 11/29: I tried a modified version with plain yogurt instead of sour cream. The dough was absurdly flakey, so I kept adding more yogurt until 1 c total. Otherwise, the taste and texture is still fantastic.

I’m on the far side of the planet so I can’t take my mama out for tea, so here, have some photos!

Big news! Nothing has happened.

Polar bears are one of the icons of the environmental movement. Everyone recognizes how cute yet vicious they are, and they are adorably photogenic. An effort to save the bears by reducing greenhouse warming failed under Bush; it has not been changed under Obama.

Boo.

dismayed polar bear

Allow me to introduce you to Canada’s first line of defense.