By Jeanne Winnick Brennan

Photography by Dave Brooks

A local artist bakes her popular cherry cookies.

Have you ever seen a dessert that looked so lovely, it would have made a beautiful picture? Kathrine Lemke Waste has—many times. A popular still-life watercolor artist, Lemke Waste has been known to bake her subjects before she paints them.

“I can't help it—I'm just a visual person,” says Lemke Waste.

Lemke Waste unleashes her creativity by painting delectable fruit tarts and other foods, and designing dessert recipes such as these cookies, which won a national baking award. She'll start with an ingredient she loves, such as the tart dried cherries from Trader Joe's used here, and create a recipe around it. A patient person who teaches art to hospitalized children through the Very Special Arts program, Lemke Waste likes to get things just right. She may take years perfecting a recipe, and the same is true with her paintings.

“I paint what I like, ” says Lemke Waste. “And I like the challenge of watercolors—how the paint goes on the page and the light comes through. When painting with watercolors, I'm in charge.”

To see Kathrine Lemke Waste's art, visit LemkeWaste.com.

Cherry Vanilla Cookies

Place dried cherries and water in a glass container and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until the cherries are soft. Drain in a colander, then dry cherries on paper towels and roll up to absorb all the moisture. Set aside.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in dried cherries. Chill dough in the refrigerator at least hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place two inches apart on a greased baking sheet and bake 7–9 minutes until light golden brown. Makes 60–65 cookies.

Ingredients
2 cups dried cherries 1/4 cup water 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened	1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1/2 cup granulated sugar

This article appears in the June 2004 issue of Sacramento Magazine.