"C is for 'cookie,' that's good enough for me..."

[mousme]

The CAM bought me a cookie.

I may bitch about my coworkers and the managers especially, but they're fundamentally pretty decent people. We get along well, they never ask me to do anything that's ridiculously beyond my ability to do, and the general atmosphere here is good.

Did I mention I have a cookie? It's one of those large oatmeal things.

This weekend is going to be all about domestic felicity. There will be cooking and cleaning (not necessarily in that order) and quality time spent with the Parental Units. I have to get myself a rolling pin and a flour sifter, and possibly a large wooden board, because I shall be making the chive biscuits that toughlovemuse introduced me to this week. The recipe can be found in the comments of owldaughter's blog, if you're interested. In this post. I may repost the text here (with her permission) for future reference. Easier to check my own archives than someone else's.

I am in a baking frame of mind. Sadly, I lack many of the tools necessary to engage in that activity. Hopefully I shall be able to remedy that situation in a not-too-expensive fashion this weekend. I have a notion to make muffins, or maybe cookies. Something shareable. I might bring some to the office on Monday, should the venture prove to be a success. I haven't actually baked anything more complicated than peanut butter balls in over four years (and the peanut butter balls were in 2003, if memory serves). A frequent baker, I am not. With any luck and a bit of perseverance, that will change.

Okay, back to work. Only twenty minutes before the end of the day now.

Comments

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

You're more than welcome to repost the recipe post!

Want my flour sifter? I never use it. I can bring it to rehearsal tomorrow.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Wow, that would be awesome! Thank you! I am weird about sifting my flour. I know most people don't bother anymore, but some of my baking recipes truly don't turn out right if the flour isn't sifted.

I really need a cooking/baking icon. Maybe two. ;)

[rosy1.livejournal.com]

If you don't have a rolling pin, an empty (wine, vinegar, etc.) bottle will do. Even though I have a sifter, unless I'm making something delicate like a sponge cake I just use a egg whisk or a fork...it tends to make less of a mess.

And if you're making cookies, one of my faves are easy sugar cookies. You can get all kinds of cut-outs at the dollar store or a Rossy or Walmart. (My personal preference is hearts and doves.)

Here is my favorite recipe if you like:

So Good Frosted Sugar Cookies:

3 1/2 cups (490 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1 /2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whisk flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
Mix butter and sugar in another bowl using the low setting of your hand mixer.
Add eggs and vanilla to butter and sugar and beat until smooth.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture to make dough.

This dough is incredibly wet. I put it in the fridge for at least an 1 hour for easier handling and then rolled it in a lot of flour. I think you could even make it and put it in a bowl, covered in plastic overnight.

When you’re ready to make cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cutting and Decorating:
Roll out the dough and then use cookie cutters. I use a metal heart shape and a dove shape
For the hearts:
I washed some with egg whites while warm and sprinkled a bit of red glitter sprinkles in the center.
Some I frost with white frosting (Confectioners sugar, oil and milk – use oil instead of butter so the frosting is glossy) and added chocolate and red glitter sprinkles or just rainbow sprinkles.
For the doves, I always frost them with white (or lemon flavored) frosting and decorate the wings with sprinkles.

These are real crowd pleasers. I have lots of other more complicated recipes but these are classically good. Because they contain 2 large eggs they rise and get golden on the sides. Keep an eye on them, because it depends on your oven how long they will take – roughly 10 -15 minutes a batch. The dollar store sells little cello bags that you can put them in and tie with a ribbon for a nice presentation.

Good luck…I think baking and sharing with a generous spirit does wonders for the soul (but you probably already knew that ;).

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recipe!

My family actually has a sort-of-secret sugar cookie recipe, which gets trotted out every Christmas. They're definite favourites, and the year my mother suggested she might not make them we received terrified phone calls from people begging her to reconsider. ;)

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Let me check, I may well have two rolling pins, in which case you're very welcome to one of them.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! If you do have a spare, that would be fantastic!