Cookies, Sugar!

 Finally!!!!

Yes~ I finally made Sugar Cookies...

I haven't made sugar cookies for a very, very long time. And I've been intending to do it for a while now, but it just never seems to happen.

I decided that no matter what, I was going to make Amy's Sugar Cookies this year for Valentines.

No. Matter. What!

 And honestly? It wasn't nearly as messy and terrible as I remembered.

Messy? Yes...but not so bad.

Perhaps that was because the kids didn't help?

They just stood around, confused, jaws hanging open...

Next time~ I'll get them to help!

 This is a soft sugar cookie recipe~ the kind with sour cream in it.

They were good. Nice and soft...uh except for the first batch, which I over baked. They still got eaten, though!

I do think this particular recipe is better with frosting.

You may remember that my kids don't like frosting?

I left the cookies all un-frosted, so everyone could choose if they wanted frosting or not.

And guess what??? My kids liked them with the frosting too!

In fact, Shane ate an un-frosted cookie and spit it out in the garbage!

He did not like it at all. I had to coax him to try another one with frosting.

He liked the frosted ones much better!

I  used this Buttercream Dream Icing  (YUM) from The Repressed Pastry Chef.

Absolutely my favorite buttercream type (un-cooked) frosting right now!

Light, fluffy and not too overly sweet.

(I wish she were still blogging! Check out some of her other yummy recipes too. The Sugar Cookie bars are also yummy!)

When I was making the frosting, I remembered my mom teaching me to make buttercream frosting.

She would tell me, "Don't drown the miller". That's what she called it if I added too much liquid.  Which I did on frequent occasions!

Amy's Soft Sugar Cookies

In large bowl or mixer, Mix together:

1/2 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream (small container)

In a separate bowl, mix together: then add to previous ingredients:

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soda

61/2-7 cups flour

Roll out to desired thickness. (I like mine thick!)

Bake for 5-8 minutes (mine were perfect @ 6 minutes)

 @ 400 degrees on greased cookie sheet.

Cool on rack

Frost, if desired

 I recommend:

Buttercream Dream Icing

And this is what happens when you put 2 frosted cookies on a plate to take pictures for your blog.

And then you try to tip the plate for a more pleasing photography angle...

SPLAT!

 Good thing I waited to mop the floor until after I was done baking cookies!

I have another recipe I'll be trying... sometime...soonish...

Do you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe?

Cookie Exchange

Are you all ready for Christmas?

I'm not...haven't even started yet! WHAT???  I know, I know.

Haven't even gotten the tree decorated yet! It is up~ and has lights, but that is as far as we've gotten.

I am trying really hard to not be stressed out about all the "stuff".  And just taking things one day at a time.

Hopefully all the Merry Decor will be festively flung this weekend.

Last night, we had our neighborhood Cookie Exchange. Thanks to my brave neighbor, Heidi~ who hosts this every year.

Since I have lots of chocolate left-overs from the wedding, I decided to make something that would use some of that: Oreo Truffles.

 I use Bakerella's recipe. You can find it here: Bakerella's Oreo Truffles
They turned out pretty well. They were ugly (I'm still working on my rolling and dipping technique) but they were good! Everyone was impressed. I was less than happy with the chocolate, though. It has good flavor~ but wasn't quite the same as the molding/dipping chocolate I usually use. It didn't set up very quickly, and it has a thinner consistency than the other stuff. And I still have a whole lot of chocolate left. Maybe I'll melt it down and pour it into my candy molds~ then it will be easier to eat!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful December.

 Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Blond Toffee Brownies

I've been on somewhat of a baking kick lately.

Not that anyone is complaining. 

Well, maybe just a little because baking you know, heats up the house & it's summer and all...

But other than that, yeah no complaining. 

Perhaps the baking binge is because I recently acquired this:

Oooh, baby! I have been coveting   wanting one of these for a long, long time!

When we moved back to Utah...we were over at Amy & Gary's and I noticed she had a Kitchen Aid. 

I actually said to Rick; "When did Amy get a Kitchen Aid?  No Fair!".  I was J-E-A-L-O-U-S!!! 

I got over it...really, I did! 

But...on Mother's Day this year, Rick and Emily had a huge surprise for me! 

I cried when I unwrapped it!  It was awesome!!!

Then I got sick before I could even use it...so now I guess I'm trying to catch up!!! 

And I have been putting it to good use, that's for sure.

Now, for the recipe (finally).

I used to make these years ago, but had forgotten about them...A while back I remembered that I used to have a toffee brownie recipe...but I couldn't find it anywhere.  I was pretty sure I had gotten the recipe off of a package of toffee bits...but search as I might, I couldn't find it.

Then, just a few days ago...I remembered that the recipe was from a magazine! Aren't our brains wonderful?  I went searching through my collection of cooking magazines and there it was!!! I knew it was the right recipe because I had written some notes on it. 

Okay, so NOW, here is the recipe (gees, get to the recipe already, would ya?)

Blond Toffee Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup English Toffee bits

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in toffee bits.

Batter will be thick. Spread evenly into a greased 9x13x2 in baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool. Cut into bars to serve.

My notes:

The bars are thin, which is probably good because they are very rich!  The toffee melts, so they are also pretty gooey...Next time I make them, I'm going to use the toffee bits that have the chocolate.  Shane told me these are really good, but he thinks they need just a little chocolate. 

Peanut Butter Bars

One year, for my birthday, my grandma gave me this:

A recipe box filled with her favorite handwritten recipes.
It is still a gift I treasure. Many of her favorite recipes have become my favorites too!

One of my most requested recipes is one I got from Grandma, peanut butter bars! These are so good, and simple to make!

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter (I like chunky)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup peanut butter, whipped (I like creamy)

16 oz tub chocolate frosting

Mix first eight ingredients. Then add all the flour and oats. Mix well.

Spread onto a 10x15 cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and spread whipped peanut butter on hot cake.

Cool and then spread with chocolate frosting.

Cut into bars and serve.