Saturday, May 21, 2011

I'd rather be...actually making cookies ;)

Sometimes even with the best of intentions things just don't turn out right.  Ever happen to you?  Well this past week I was sick but still wanted to make some cookies for Munchkin's preschool teachers.  Friday was her last day of preschool and I wanted to make some cookies as a small token of thanks!  Her teachers at Lincoln Montessori were amazing and it was the least I could do for them.

Being sick and working full time, I really didn't have the energy to come home and make a batch of cookie dough and icing.  So being the genius that I am, I thought to myself "You know they do sell pre-made sugar cookie dough at the grocery store-why not give it a try?"....um, big mistake.


I swear I rolled out the dough and used a cookie cutter before I baked the dough.  As you can see, then end result didn't so much turn out.  I will lovingly name these cookies "the blobs".

 Disappointed but not yet ready to totally give up I came up with another "brilliant" idea.  I wondered if I used my cutter to actually cut the shape out of the already baked cookie.  Now I didn't think it would be perfect, but worth a shot.  Um...not so much ;)



So instead of beautiful apple cookies for Munchkin's amazing teachers



I ended up getting a Barnes and Noble gift card and bouquet of flowers





It's definitely the thought that counts but still I'm disappointed in myself for trying to take a short cut.  But lesson learned.  So here is the recipe I've been using and should have used this past week.  Hope it works out for your guys!  I got this recipe from Marian's site at www.sweetopia.net.  I highly recommend you check this site out for recipes and ideas.  She is just so talented!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

2  1/2 cups butter (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 3 tsp vanilla)
5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1.  Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed.  (Use the paddle attachment).  Mix until thoroughly incorporated – for about one minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more.
Over mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough.  If you’d like a light and fluffy cookie, that’s ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking; not ideal if you’d like the cookie to hold its shape.
2.  Add eggs slowly and mix.  Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.
3.  Cut open your vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out.  Add to mixing bowl.  Alternatively, add liquid vanilla extract.  Stir briefly.
4.  Sift your dry ingredients together.  (Flour, baking powder and salt).
5.  Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl.  Place a large tea towel or two small tea towels between the edge of the bowl and the electric mixer so that the flour won’t escape.  Mix on low speed for 3o seconds.  Remove the tea towels and observe the dough mixing; when it clumps around the paddle attachment it’s ready.  It’s also important at this stage not to over mix the dough (the glutens in the flour develop and the dough can become tough).
6.  Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper.  Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
7.  Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes.  Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Re-roll scraps and repeat.
8.  Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again.  They will then hold their shape better when baked.
9.  Preheat your oven to 350°F or 176°C.
10.  Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.  The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.
11.  Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

And of course its not a post if I don't throw in a picture of one of my girls ;)  Here is Munchkin with her teacher Jeanne on the last day of school.
Thanks to a wonderful teacher and happy baking to you all!  I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you guys!

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