My Favorite Sugar Cookies

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us and it can't get here fast enough for me!  It's my absolute favorite holiday.  Food, Family, Food, Football, Food, Parades, and did I mention Food?  I love to cook and I love to eat (and I love to count my blessings) so Thanksgiving is the best day.  It is also the unofficial start to the holiday season when it becomes socially acceptable for me to blast Christmas music while baking sugar cookies.  Here is a simple, delicious recipe that you can bake while blasting Christmas music (the music is important to the recipe ;)

MY FAVORITE SUGAR COOKIES

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
holiday sprinkles or colored sugars
a little powdered sugar


Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until very well blended.  (If you don't have a mixer, just whip it with a whisk really, really well until fluffy).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Next, add the egg and vanilla.  Mix well.

Then, stir in the flour until fully incorporated.

Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.  This helps the cookies keep their shape.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pinch off a heaping tablespoon of dough (more or less) and roll it into a ball (I use a small scoop so they are all the same size, but you can use a spoon).

Place some sprinkles (or colored sugar) into a small bowl and dip the ball of dough into the sprinkles.

Place it onto a cookie sheet.  Leave a few inches between them because you're going to press them flat later.

Put a little bit of powdered sugar in a bowl.  Rub a little butter on the bottom of a glass (I use the wrapper from the softened butter I used in the cookies) then dip the bottom of the glass into the powdered sugar.

Flatten the dough with the glass.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are simple but they're a holiday favorite for a reason.  Buttery, sweet and delicious!  They make a great gift and are so pretty on a cookie platter at a party.  You'll want to make these every year.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

As Christmas fast approaches, I am still in a house of renovating madness.  Every morning I am greeted by the lovely sounds of saws and nail guns.  It's a wonderful way to start the day, I highly recommend it (can you hear the sarcasm through the computer?).  Well, anyway, the holidays go on.  So, I will do what I do on every holiday, bake cookies.  Today, I'm talking about shortbread cookies.

I absolutely love shortbread cookies.  How could I not, they're basically butter and sugar?  Oh well, my philosophy is "I'd rather have a little something delicious than a lot of something diet".    These cookies fall into that category.  It's true, they're a splurge, but it is Christmastime after all, so splurge away!

CHRISTMAS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (leave out on the counter til soft)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (pure, no imitation stuff here!)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 squares of white almond bark
Christmas sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar (that just means mix it on medium-high speed til it's fluffy).

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Next, add the flour and mix on medium low speed until combined.  You will see it start to form a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a surface covered with wax paper.  I use a cutting board or sometimes just my counter top.

Form the dough (using your very clean hands, aka the best tools you have) into a rectangle that's about a 1/4 inch thick.

Using a pizza cutter (or a knife), cut the dough in half vertically and then horizontally.

You'll have four sections.  Cut each section into thirds.  This will leave you with 12 rectangular cookies.

Use a fork to poke a few holes into the dough.  This is decorative, but it also helps the cookies rise evenly.

Gently place each cookie onto a baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them (because they will spread while baking).

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.  Don't over bake these!

Let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.  If you don't have a rack, don't sweat it.  Just take them off the hot baking sheet and put them on a cool one.  The rack just lets air circulate around the cookies so they cool faster.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, melt the almond bark.  I put it into a coffee mug and microwave it for 30 seconds, then stir.  If it's not totally melted, microwave it for another 15 seconds and stir again.  You want it to be fully melted and smooth.

Once the almond bark is melted, carefully dip each cookie to coat the end.  I say carefully because they are very delicate cookies and will break easily.  Just dip the end and then lay it on some wax paper and decorate with sprinkles (do it quickly because the almond bark starts to set up fast).

Let them sit until the almond bark sets, which doesn't take long.  If you don't want to dip them, you can drizzle the melted almond bark over the top and then decorate with sprinkles.

This recipe makes 12 cookies.  It is very easy to double if you want to make more.  Put these in a cellophane bag with a pretty ribbon and you've got a great hostess gift.

These are very festive and delicious!  A great Christmas cookie!

Christmas Crafts

I love Christmas crafts!  They just make me happy.  I think it's because they remind me of Christmas break in school.  It was such a magical time.  You're home from school, wondering what Santa will bring, getting to enjoy all sorts of special treats.  My Mama and I would make crafts together.  It didn't take much, we usually used what we found around the house or in the yard, but it was so much fun.  We made memories that will last a lifetime.

Here are a few cheap and cheerful crafts you can make with your family (along with some special memories):

CANDY CANE REINDEER

candy canes
pipe cleaners
pom poms
googly eyes
glue
scotch tape

Tape two candy canes together to look like antlers.  Wrap a pipe cleaner or two around the middle of the two candy canes.  Glue on eyes and a pom pom nose.  Easy!  These make great stocking stuffers or hang them on your tree!

CINNAMON ORNAMENTS

1 (4.12 oz) bottle ground cinnamon (or 2 small bottles)
3/4 cup applesauce
cookie cutters
skewer or chopstick
drying rack (any rack will do)
ribbon or yarn
paint, markers (optional)

Mix the cinnamon and applesauce together to form a stiff dough.  Roll it out with a rolling pin (or a glass) to 1/4 inch thickness (if the rolling pin sticks, rub a little cinnamon on it).  Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  Make a hole in the top of each using the skewer.  Carefully lay the ornaments on a rack to dry.  Let them dry for a day or two at room temperature, turning them over occasionally (bonus: your house will smell amazing!).  When dry, tie a piece of ribbon through the hole to hang them.  You can paint them, write on them with markers or just leave them plain.  They smell fantastic!

BAKERS CLAY ORNAMENTS

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups water
parchment paper or aluminum foil
paint or markers
ribbon or yarn
glue

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix together the flour, salt and 1 1/4 cups water to form a dough.  If too dry, add a little more water.  Knead on a floured surface until smooth.  Form into shapes (to make 3D characters) or roll out and cut with cookie cutters.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and bake until set and golden, about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how thick your ornaments are.  Let them cool completely.  Then, paint them or color with markers.  Glue a piece of ribbon on to hang it.

GLITTER PINE CONES

pine cones
glue
water
glitter
paint brush
ribbon or yarn

Mix glue with a little water to thin it out a bit (no need to be precise).  Paint some of the thinned glue onto the pine cones and sprinkle with glitter.  Do as much or as little as you like.  Use any color glitter you like.  Let them dry on newspaper or a rack.  Glue a piece of ribbon on to hang it.

These are just a few crafts you can make this holiday season.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!