Riding the subway is a special city-kid experience.  Books sometimes portray childhood experiences that many city kids just can’t relate to–backyard play, doing laundry at home (!), playing hide and seek in someone’s house (How?? Where??).  BUT, the subway is the city-child’s domain.  And yes, most of us have a love-hate relationship with the MTA, but while it may not be perfect, it is ours. So, when I came across two books recently (entitled Subway and…Subway!), which celebrate the joys of a good subway ride, I had to join the transit love-fest by making…Subway Cookies!

For me, simplicity and affordability are key, so I took the easy route with a store-bought mix.  (It’s the decorating I was excited about anyway!)  When it comes to drop cookies versus rolling and using cookie cutters, you can go whichever way you like.  My trusty assistant and I went with drop cookies, simply rolling them into a ball and flattening them onto the pan with our palms.

Side note–we realized mid-mix that we’d run out of butter, but a quick google-search saved the day.  We learned you can sub veggie oil in for the butter (just use 75% of the amount originally called for, since the oil is greasier).

While our cookies cooled, we mixed our colors, using the internet to get as close to the real deal as possible.  We focused on the Bronx trains–the green, red and orange lines.

For writing the numbers and letters, we made makeshift piping bags (ziplock baggies with the corner snipped off!), and again, consulted the internet for letter/number-shaping guidance.

 

BOOKS TO BAKE WITH…

Subway (a picture book), in which a family goes on a ride, just for fun.

Subway (a board book), in which a mama and baby enjoy a colorful and rhyming ride on the train.