Friday, February 8, 2008

valentine tradition

valentines day and sugar cookies. these two go hand in hand in our home. mallory was on me all day to make them so we (the two little ones and i) threw together a batch to decorate when the older ones made it home from school. it was as if eli had died and gone to heaven. during the mixing, he couldn't get enough of the dough (i know, i know, raw eggs, whatever...) but when the frosting and sprinkles made their way to the table, he had found his true love. he quickly cast aside his (now) frostingless cookie to eat the white stuff straight from the knife.

the older ones know to get as many sprinkles on before the jar gets removed from the table and you are left using whatever excess spilled over onto your paper plate. sprinkle ration, it's what i do. for those of you who have asked but i've negleted to give you my recipe...here it is

Best Sugar Cookies (and i might add, they really are the best)

1/2 c. butter 1/4 c shortning 2 eggs 1 c sugar 1 t vanilla swoosh almond extract 1 t salt 1 t b. powder 2 1/2 c flour cream fats and sugar. add eggs, vanilla, almond. mix well. add dry ingredients. bake at 400 for 8-10 min (don't overcook--until the edges are just about to brown). greased cookie sheet. (i usually triple this batch)

golden butter frosting

1/2 c butter 2T milk 1/2 t vanilla another swoosh of almond 3 c powdered sugar

the secret is in the almond--isn't it always?

6 comments:

Where The Wilds Things Are said...

I love the picture of Eli's little baby hands...so cute. Your recipe is the best! I also let my children, Sam included eat cookie dough. I guess I will stop doing it when one of us gets sick (but probably not). Don't you feel sorry for the those children who are deprived of raw delicious cookie dough???

Lightning McQueens said...

heck yeah!
fyi, emily baade has never tasted cookie dough...sure she may be the smartest, most well behaved, athletic, musically talented 13 year old on the planet--but so deprived!

Aaron and Kalle said...

I think that Valentines day is not complete without sugar cookies. I made mine over a week ago, and am ready to make another batch. I love the pictures of your little ones. Raw dough never killed me, and I think I may have eaten more of it than the ending product.

Big Oaf said...

I know I said I am incapable of getting too high or too low on any food items, while I thoroughly enjoyed the cookies at your house on Saturday night, I have to let you know that ours are better. You remember those big Lofthouse cookies I used to shake out of the vending machines at BJH while I was waiting for you to get your hair done after b-ball prictice ( actually you probably don't since I ate them before you got out)Dana's taste a lot like that, but they are much lighter, just melt in your mouth, and I have grown rather fond of the Lemon in the frosting. This doesn't mean much since I'm a pig, but I just finished eating my 6th one tonight, I guess I'll have to swim two miles tomorrow.

taylor and laney said...

i thought your cookies were delicious. I think I might make them tonight.

Rachael said...

I wish someone made sugar cookies for me. And I would never say my cookies were better than your cookies! Seriously JARED! Send some my way and the gratitude will be forthcoming.