SLY's WALK TO SCHOOL COOKIES
(if you pack these in your child's lunch, they will most likely be eaten on the "walk to school")

Ingredients:  
3 cups butter at room temperature  
2 cups sugar
1 TBS vanilla
1 1/2 cups Grape Nuts cereal (use the nuggets, not the flakes) 
5 1/2 - 6 cups all purpose flour
Additional sugar for topping (powdered sugar gives a soft appearance like pecan sandies, granulated sugar gives a crackle finish like snickerdoodles)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter, and gradually add the sugar.  
3. Beat until light and fluffy.
4. Mix in the vanilla.
5. Mix in the Grape Nuts.
6. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix until just blended.   The dough will be relatively firm and dry.  You should be able to scoop some out and make a ball without getting your hands wet and sticky.
7. Shape dough into balls. 
8. Roll balls in the additional sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Small size balls (up to 1") can be left round, for larger ones (up to 2") press gently with a fork to flatten slightly -- be careful not to make them too flat.
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending upon cookie size). Cookies will be pale, do not brown.
11. Cool for at least 30 minutes.  These cookies are not good warm - they taste better the day after they are baked.

Makes approximately 5-7 dozen, depending upon size of cookie.