Rainbow Sugar Cookies

I made these super cute sugar cookies for our upcoming vacation and just had to share! Decorated sugar are my "go to" party treat after cupcakes! Base cookie recipe coming soon :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend! 

Smore's Cupcakes!

My friend was hosting a bake sale for an annual cancer walk last weekend and the baker in me, could not let that opportunity pass without trying out some new cupcake creations.

Today's post is for Smore's Cupcakes...I also made French Toast Cupcakes but that will be a post for another day. Stay tuned.

For now, bake yourself up a batch of these bad boys

First, make your graham cracker bottom crust:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Smash up about 15-20 Graham Crackers in a zip lock and dump into a bowl. Add enough melted butter to make them into a crust. Usually 4-5 tablespoons will do it. Put about 1TB into each muffin liner and press down with a cup. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes until just firm. Put aside to cool for at least 10 min while you mix up the cake batter.

Chocolate Cake- I heart the original Hershey's Chocolate Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

•  2 cups Sugar
• 1-3/4 cup Flour
• 1.5tsp Baking Powder
• 1.5tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Salt
• ¾ cup Cocoa
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Veg Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Boiling Water

nocouponsDIRECTIONS:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together all your wet ingredients EXCEPT the Boiling Water.  In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly mix into wet. When combined slowly pour in boiling water. The batter will be really runny, but don’t worry!

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). I spray the top of my muffin tins with cooking spray so nothing sticks.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

If you make these ahead, they freeze really well if unfrosted!

And then you will need:

Marshmallow Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• I cup marshmallow fluff
• 1 cup butter
• 2-2.5 cups powdered sugar
• A little milk (maybe)

nocouponsDIRECTIONS:

Cream cold butter in mixer. Add in Marshmallow fluff and a little powder sugar. Keep adding in sugar. If mix is a little dry you can add a little milk. Beat on high until frosting consistency.  Frost cupcakes.

Now for me, I have to add toasted marshmallows and Hershey's chocolate bars to the top of my cupcakes. 

Put a bunch of mini marshmallows onto a baking sheet and torch with your kitchen torch. If you don't have one, put under the broiler for a few seconds. Keep an eye on them cause they will brown up and melt quick! Let cool and put a few on top of each cupcake. Finish off with a slice of Hershey bar!

SO DARN TASTY

These will keep at room temp for a day or two but if it's hot put them in the fridge cause the frosting and chocolate bar will start to melt :)

These are perfect to bring to a cookout. Everyone will think you are a baking pro and only you will know how easy these really were!

Happy Baking!!

Jenn

Protein Sugar Free Banana Muffins

I have a ton of bananas on my counter that have just about seen their last day. I would hate to just throw them out so I have created a sugar free banana muffin with no flour and added protein powder!

Add all of the dry ingredients to your food processor and blend:

3/4 cup Old Fashion Oats
2 scoops protein powder-I used banana but vanilla would be good too
1/2 cup Splenda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp cinnamon
Dash salt

Wiz in food processer. We all know I LOVE my Ninja :)

Once combined add in:
3 Bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt- I used 0% Vanilla Chobani, but plain will work
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (I actually use the Vanilla bean paste)


Combine until well mixed.Pour mix into well sprayed muffin tins. Do not use paper liners. Using paper liners with recipes with oats will cause the muffins to stick to the liners.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 min .Remove from oven and turn out onto cooling rack.

These muffins will also freeze really well. My mix above made 9 full size muffins when filling the muffin tins 3/4 of the way to the top. These would also be really great with some nuts or blueberries mixed in. If you try either of those let me know!

One of these will find it's way to my belly for dessert tonight...and maybe one for breakfast tomorrow am!

These muffins have about 90 calories, 8 grams of sugar and 9 grams of protein if you make full size muffins and get 9 out of your mix :) Counts will vary depending on your yogurt and protein powder!

If you try these let me know! I always love feedback :)

My love of baking

I must admit I have a love of baking. It used to be I loved to eat all of the goodies I made, but these days full sugar treats are a thing of the past for me. I still do however love to make my full sugar yummy goodies for loved ones, and friends. People see a plate of cookies, batch of cupcakes, or slices of cake and their eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning.
Seeing other people enjoy my baked goods makes me smile. Plus I get to taste test my recipes on people who I know will be honest with me.

I have a obsession recently with cupcakes and sugar cookies.
Here are some past creations over the last year or so....

I am planning another batch of sugar cookies soon to ship to my cousin, just have to pick out some cool shapes!

Local and need baked goods?? Let me know....I do parties :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting, Chocolate Drizzle and a Banana Chip

Disney Princess Cookies- Belle, Snow White and some others

Cheeseburger Cake- Vanilla and Chocolate Pound Cake- decorated with Fondant

Chocolate Chipolte Cupcakes with Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Cow Sugar Cookies- I Heart Cows

Vanilla Cupcake Sugar Cookies

The "Princess" Basket- Disney Princess Dresses, Castles, Cupcakes, and Crowns

Dad's Tackle Box Birthday Cake

TV Dinner Cupcakes

Easter Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream frosting and a Tulip Decorated Sugar Cookie Topper

"Watermelon" Cake - Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream frosting and fondant

Stevie's Pokemon Cake- my first attempt at Pokemon...

Chocolate Fudge Pie! Healthy & Sugar Free

For all of you who asked, here is the original link the the Chocolate Fudge Pie made with Tofu Chocolate Bar Pie by Chocolate Covered Katie.

Of course I can't leave a recipe well enough alone so I made a few changes. Make sure you use the FIRM tofu. I made mine with 1TB cocoa powder, sugar free chocolate chips and with Stevia in the Raw as my sweetener. Make sure you mix really well. I use my NINJA!

Now, this time I also made a crust. Next time, I won't. I am going with Katie on this one...so much better minus the crust!

Here is what I used for my crust:

1-3/4" cups of Fiber One Cereal (the one that looks like rabbet food) crushed up to look like graham cracker crumbs

4tsp melted butter- I use Earth Balance Vegan Spread

2TB Stevia (or sugar, splenda, or agave)

1tsp cinnamon

Mix all together and mash into a 9" pie pan. Bake a 350 for about 8-9 min.
Let cool completely before filling.

I didn't think so many people were going to ask for the recipe so I only took one pic of my piece yesterday. But it is delish! You can't see it but there is some Sugar Free Whipped Topping on the side...

If you try this recipe let me know how you like it! I am not really a tofu fan, but  a new way of eating introduces you to so many new things!

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Truffles! WLS Friendly!

This is a link to my new favorite recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles  This girl makes the most delicious treats! Click the link to get her recipe and then see my sugar free replacements below for us WLS folks :)

I followed her above recipe almost exactly. The only thing I changed was that I used regular Splenda in stead of brown sugar (you can also use the brown sugar splenda) and use sugar free chocolate chips because I can't do the whole sugar thing. Oh and I doubled it because I gave a bunch away to my sugar loving friends and guess what....they loved them!

How to make it all come together:

I use this bad boy....my NINJA. 

 First, rinse and drain the chickpeas really well. (this is a entire can, like I said I doubled the recipe)

 Add your vanilla...how cute is the detail in the bottom of my spoons!

 Splenda...

For my nut butter I like Almond Butter with Sea Salt from Trader Joes

 Throw in everything else EXCEPT the chocolate chips!

 Make sure you mix everything REALLY well. No one wants to bite into a chickpea! The Ninja is great for this. Best Gift EVER!

I like to dump mine out into a bowl and stir in a bunch of Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. I can only ever find these things at Super Walmart, but they do sell them other places and online! You can also make your own Sugar Free Chocolate Bars and chunk them up for the recipe. Here is a link to make your own : Three Ingredient Chocolate Bars- Sugar Free

Then make your balls! I use a mini ice cream scoop

Place them in the fridge to chill out...I usually dip half of mine in melted sugar free chocolate and leave half of them just like this. They are delicious either way.

Let me know if you give these a try! You could also add nuts, flavored sugar free Torani to change up the taste, maybe roll in unsweetened coconut...so many options!

I think I will eat one right now....

Oh the Holidays....

Well folks the holiday season is in full swing and every other day there is a new holiday treat to be eaten. There is shopping to be done, houses to clean before parties, work parties, and dinner with friends and loved ones.  Last year at Christmas we left on a cruise and while I cried while driving to the airport leaving my parents house Christmas morning, we had an amazing time. I missed my family, but the wife and I spent some much needed quality time together.

This year we are home for the holidays (this years cruise was over Thanksgiving!) so I am faced with all those yummy foods in my past life I would have eaten more than my fair share of.  This year I am determined to attend parties, eat delicious food and desserts, and tackle the holiday "my way". Over this past year I have found AMAZING blogs that I love that have provided me the tools I need to make yummy goodies that I can actually eat.

Mary Beth (the psychologist at the WLS center I go to) says there is nothing I can't eat. Everything in moderation and if you slip up, move on. There is always another day.

This year I still did my annual cookie box for the office filled with 3-4 kinds of cookies, homemade chocolate lollipop trees and candy canes. Next week I think I will bring cupcakes. I bought these super cute cupcake toppers I want to use :)  The guys and gals in our shop work so hard to make what we sell and I am grateful for that. We produce some amazing things. Check it out at http://www.lightblocks.com/ . 

Every Christmas Eve we attend my parents neighbors (I say that but they are more like family...Hi Jurewicz family!) holiday party. It's the same people every year for the most part and we sit around and eat and chat. It's nice. It's annual. I look forward to it every year. This year instead of showing up with my usual super unhealthy baked goods, I will be bringing some healthy super delicious baked goods so I can eat some as well.

This year I am making: (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dessert)

Chocolate Covered Katie's Deep Dish Cookie PIe
as well as her Pumpkin Bars
I also might make my own Sugar Free Chocolate Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter) Cups

The Deep Dish Cookie Pie above is so delicious. If you didn't know what the ingredients were, you would never guess it was made with chickpeas. I think I am mostly excited to make this because I am getting the Ninja System for Christmas and I am getting it early so I can make my desserts! So Excited! Healthy desserts can be just as delicious as regular flour filled and sugar filled ones if they are made with high quality, good ingredients.

On Liberty of the Seas- heading to Mexico!

I am kicking myself for not buying Vanilla when I was in Mexico two weeks ago.







Tonight after work I am finally going to try and tackle some shopping for presents. This year I am so unorganized. Holidays cards went out yesterday which is way late in my world! I also must pick up supplies for red velvet cupcakes. I think that is what I shall bring to work on Monday :)

I also made some Peppermint Hot Chocolate Jars for gifts this year. So cute and so easy! Let me know if you want the recipe :)

What you are making for holiday desserts if you are a baker?

Happy Holidays All!

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies pre-weight loss surgery were one of my favorite things. Fresh from the oven the warm melty goodness of chocolate chips used to scream my name. These days good old full fat, full sugar chocolate chip cookies would do a number on my pouch.

A few weeks ago I was doing some online research and found this really great blog called Spoonful of Sugar Free. There are some really great recipes on here including one for Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I was iffy about this one, but after baking them, mine looked a little different than the original bloggers, they were pretty tasty. Not the exact same yummy goodness, but good in their own right. I even fed one to my dad and didn't tell them they were made with beans. I said" so how was it" and he said " good....interesting". He didn't want to know what was in them so I didn't tell him.

Here is a link to the original blog. I used Sugar Free Chocolate Chips and I used about 6 oz instead of the listed ammt. I would totally make these again. Next time I think I will add some Torani Syrup and see what happens....

Let me know if you try these out and what you think!
http://spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/06/15/high-protein-cookies/

(Virtually) Sugar Free Apple Crisp

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Crisp fall weather here in NH and there is no better activity in the fall than apple picking!  Now, it's not quite cool enough for me to pick yet (maybe next week since it's 80 today) but I did pick up some local apples the other day. Looking at the bag of them and wishing I could make my favorite apple crisp recipe, but knowing if I took 2 bites the sugar would kill me. With some creative thinking and armed with a pantry full of goodies, I went to work on my sugar free yet SUPER tasty apple crisp.

Here is what you will need:

For the Apple Mix:
3 Baking Apples- I used Galas this time around
1 squeeze lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp apple pie spice
1/4 cup Sugar Free Torani Syrup- I used Caramel but you can also use Vanilla or Salted Caramel

For the topping:
4TB Oats
2 pumps Torani Sugar Free Caramel
1TB butter (I use Earth Balance Soy Spread)
1/4 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1 TB Spenda

Chunk up apples and mix with spices and lemon juice. In a saucepan combine butter, caramel syrup, and apple mix. Cook about 5-6 minutes.

In a microwavable bowl combine topping ingredients. I nuked mine for about 1 min. Mix it up into a crumbly mix.

Divide apple mix into (4) 4oz ramekins

Top the apples with the crumble mix. Bake in oven for about 10 min at 350 degrees.

When cool, cover with plastic wrap and keep in fridge.

When I want to eat one, I remove the plastic, nuke for 30 seconds and top with Sugar Free topping.

and then I add some Sugar Free Caramel topping

SO DELICIOUS!!

If you wanted, you could make this in a large batch (scaling up the ingredients to a 13x9 pan) and bring to a fall cookout or as a yummy Thanksgiving dessert.

I loved this apple "crisp". If you try it out let me know what you think!! Just because I love my recipes does not mean everyone else will too!

I am also looking for new ideas for recipes. If there is something you would like to try, let me know and I will try and alter for the WLS lifestyle and see what I can come up with! I like to put on my mad scientist sometimes for a challenge!

Next up is Apple Cake (non wls for now) and I am also working on some WLS Coffee Cake muffins (not perfected yet!)

Happy eating!!

Jenn

Blueberry Muffins...delish!!

I had a friend ask me for my favorite muffin recipe today, so here it is. You can switch out the blueberries for really any fruit....or chocolate :)

So I was watching my favorite cooking show the other night with Ina Garten and she made the most delicious looking Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins. Now, technically I can't eat muffins, but I want to make these so darn bad. So I caved and made them for my family...

Ina Gartens Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins:
What you will need:
Muffin Cup liners
2 Muffin tins- makes about 16 muffins
Regular size Ice Cream Scoop- makes the perfect size muffins

Ingredients:
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2-1/2 cups Flour
3 XL Eggs
1-1/2 Sticks Butter
1-1/2 cups Sugar
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 cup Milk
8oz Sour Cream

1-2 cups Fresh or Thawed Blueberries



Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then vanilla, sour cream, and milk.
Sift together Dry Ingredients and slowly add to wet mixture until just combined.



Fold in Blueberries gently so you don't break them! Scoop into prepared pans and bake at 350 for about 18-22 min.


I split my batter into two and made half blueberry and half chocolate chip!

I got a batch of 20 out of my batter...

If you give the recipe a try, let me know how it comes out!

Happy Baking!!

Custard & Strawberries Mock Tart

So I have not had much free time lately but the other day I was craving some English custard so I broke out the Birds container. While digging around for my splenda I thought why not kick this up a notch so I started seeing what I had around and voila now I have a Custard & Strawberries Mock Tart what works for my WLS lifestyle..

Here is what you will need:

For the "Tart" Crust:
1/4 cup Almond Meal
2 TB Golden Flaxseed Meal
2 tsp Splenda
2 tsp melted Earth Balance butter (just enough to make it like a crumb base mixture)


Pat into 4oz heat ramekins and bake for 6 min at 350. They will be slightly puffy.

For the Custard:

Bird's Custard- half recipe on container to 1 cup Milk and 1 TB mix. Use 1TB Splenda. Cook as directed.



 
 
 
Fill ramekins with warm custard mixture. Let cool for about 5 min.

Slice a couple strawberries in half and gently place on top of custard.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to cool.

 

These are super yummy and really hit the spot :)

 

Let me know if you try these out !

 

Happy Eating,

Jenny

Banana Bread with Golden Flaxseed and Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

So last night I noticed I had some bananas on the counter that were way past the point where I would eat them, but at that perfect stage for mashing them and making a banana bread. Off to Martha Stewart I went to find a recipe. Of course I can leave well enough alone and I always have to tweak it slightly. Sadly I was so excited about the bread, I didn't take my pics.

Here is what you will need:

9x5x3 loaf pan or mini loaf pans- buttered and floured ( I use the spray and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper)

2 TB Melted Butter
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Golden Flaxseed ground
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 large egg, and 1 Egg White
2 tsp Vanilla ( I like the Vanilla Bean paste)
2 large Bananas mashed well ( about 3/4-1 cup)
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar (which is what I use)
Handful or two of Sugar Free Chocolate Chips- Martha uses Walnuts but I don't


Prepare your pan and set aside.

Mix egg and egg white together. Add rest of wet ingredient and combine well.
Add mixture of dry ingredients ( I like to sift all the dry together first) to the wet and mix until just combined.
Stir in the Chocolate Chips (or whatever add in's you like) by hand gently.

Add to prepared pan and bake at 350 for about 25-30 min. It is done when your knife comes out clean!

Happy Baking!

Holiday Baking has begun....Recipe 1: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

So the baking has begun and seeing as I have a few "gluten" free friends, I have decided to take a gluten free recipe and make it not only gluten free but also WLS friendly.

You will need:

1 Large Egg
3/4 Splenda (or Sugar)
1tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter - typically I use organic but all I had today was Jif

1/2 tsp Gluten free Vanilla (does not have to be gluten free if making WLS version)

1/3 cup Chocolate Chips (Nestle Brand is Gluten Free) WLS may want to omit for use Sugar Free Chocolate chips or cut up 2 small SF chocolate bars into small pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with wax paper. It makes for easier cleanup.

Mix together egg, vanilla, sugar, and baking soda with paddle attachment on your mixer or electric hand beater.  Add peanut butter and mix well, scraping down the sides at least once. Add chocolate chips if using.

Drop mix on cookie sheet by the teaspoon. Dip fork in hot water and lighting press down the top of each cookie before popping in the oven. 

I only cook mine for about 7 minutes. Bake until lightly set on top. Remove from oven. Let sit 2min and then move to a cooling rack. 

These little treats are pretty good for being both Gluten Free and WLS friendly.  

Tomorrow (hopefully) is my blog on Spritz cookies which are currently frozen in my freezer. Everyone says they are so easy and the dough is, so maybe my cookie press is faulty. Also coming soon are decorated sugar cookies, Peppermint Bark, and a few others...

If you need any holiday recipe ideas, I literally have hundreds of cookie and dessert recipes. Leave me a comment or your email and I can shoot you some of my favorites!

Happy Baking!

Jenn

Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lia Sophia

So recently I attended a Lia Sophia party, dead set on not buying anything. Well that didn't happen. But I was able to impress the other guests with a semi diet friendly version of my Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies. The "SuperTaster" Jmac swears she could taste the Splenda...I think she is silly.
If you want to switch out splenda for sugar, the conversions are below.

You will need:
2-1/4" Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks of room temp butter
1/2 cup Splenda (or sugar)
1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar( or 1 cup light brown sugar)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp good vanilla
2 large eggs at room temp
A mixer- I love my Kitchen Aid

In your mixer cream the splendas (or sugars) with the butter until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add Vanilla.

Add in baking soda, salt, and flour mixture slowly. Save a little of the flour mixture to coat the chocolate chips before dumping those in. I usually do about a 1/4 cup of the flour mixture mixed with my chocolate chips so they spread out well in the batter. Once everything is just combined you are ready to bake.

I measure mine with a very small ice cream scoop meant for cookies.

In a 350 pre heated oven bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. $5 bucks at Walmart. My oven is insane so sometimes it is 7 minutes sometimes it is 12. Go figure.

My Splenda cookies are delish and around these holidays when all we do is eat goodies, it's not a bad recipe to try...if you are dairy free, just buy dairy free chocolate chips. If you are gluten free, just switch out the flour and play with the recipe a little.  You can also add in nuts, dried fruit, etc. Go crazy! A recipe is just a starting base...so go forth and make it your own.

Happy Baking!
Jenn

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cookies

This recipe is great for the fall season. It is so easy since it starts with a bag of Sugar Cookie mix! The original recipe can be found on Betty Crocker.com it is just so yummy I had to share...

Here is what you will need:



1 Pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 butter
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg

Filling:
2/3 cup marshmallow fluff
1/3 butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375f.

In mixer combine Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix and flour. Once combined, add other cookie ingredients.  Stir until soft dough comes together. Mine looked like a cross between actual dough and chocolate chip cookie mix.

Drop by the teaspoon full onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Dip your fingers in flour and gently push down cookie tops to flatten out just a bit. 

I cooked mine for about 7 minutes just until the cookies set.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

While the cookies are cooling make your filling.  Mix until the filling is white and shiny.



Spread about 1 teaspoon on one side of each cookie. Sandwich with one of a like size and shape.






I pooped mine each in a cupcake holder, onto a platter,  and wrapped up tightly with plastic wrap. You need to keep them in the fridge until ready to serve.

If you bake these let me know how they come out!

Happy Baking!

Jenn

Shortbread Cookies- So many versions, so little time!

A Friend asked recently for a Shortbread recipe, so I am re-posting my favorite one!!

Here is one of my favorite shortbread recipes from Ina Garten. She is my cooking idol. 
This recipe is so versatile. See some ideas after the original recipe!


This is what you need to get started:

Ingredients:

3 sticks unsalted butter at room temp

1 cup white sugar- I use splenda but both work!

1 tsp good Vanilla extract- I usually use Madagascar but am currently out

3.5 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Tools:

Measuring Spoons 

Measuring Cups

Sifter

Mixer- I love my kitchen aid

Saran Wrap

Baking Sheet

Now the fun stuff:

Heat oven to 350f. 

Cream the butter and sugar. Add Vanilla

Sift the dry ingredients together..and yes it does make a difference. 

Add the dry to the wet in batches. Dough will be loose. 

Dump out onto floured surface and you can either roll into a log (for slice and bake) or shape into a disk for cutout cookies. 

I did mine in a roll for this batch. Roll up and cover tightly with saran warp and chill for 30 min. 

After chilling the dough, remove from plastic warp and slice into 1/4 slices. 

For this batch I rolled the edges in multi colored sanding sugar to add a little color. Place on a baking sheet and cook until edges are just slightly golden brown. In my oven about 15-18 min. 

One your cookies are cold to the touch, you can do one of two things...pack them up or dip them in melted chocolate! 

This batch I decided to dip half. Make sure if you do dip yours, you don't do one side. Once the chocolate hardens if you have dipped both sides, you may break them when lifting them off your sheet once the chocolate has set. Also if you are going to dip, use good quality chocolate. 

Now they are packed up and ready to be dropped off at my parents and Viv's mums!

You can also play with variations on this recipe. For Example:

Try different flavoring extracts

Add in dried fruit or chocolate chips. 

Remove 1/2 cup of white flour and sub for cocoa powder

When doing cutout cookies, cut shapes and chill for 10 min to keep edges crisp while baking. 

You can also make this dough 1 month ahead and slice and bake when you need them. 

You can also pre cut shapes for cutouts and freeze for a month and bake the day you need them. 

Let me know if you try this one out!

Happy Baking! 

Jenn