Shortbread Lovlies!

Last week we made sugar cookie a la egg shell- luckily, no egg shells were found in the finished product...  this week, my daughter helped with one cookie and after rolling it into a ball she proceeded to lick her entire hand... thus ending her apprenticeship.  Such a funny little girl.  She couldn't figure out why I wouldn't let her do any more!!!  Her hands were clean!

I always thought it was harder to make shortbread, but apparently not.  I couldn't believe how easy it was- and I got it right on my first try!  So I've posted the recipe below.  You will love them-

Shortbread with Strawberry Jelly
about 18 cookies

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup Strawberry Preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream sugar, shortening and butter in a large bowl. Mix in egg yolk and almond extract. Blend in the flour a little at a time, until well combined and chunky. Shape a tablespoon of dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the cookies on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your thumb press the down on the cookie. Fill the dimple with about 1 tsp of Strawberry preserves.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Tranfer to cooling rack.

Snikerdoodles & Scarecrows

I only make Snickerdoodle's in the fall.  I'm usually a chocolate chip cookie type of gal but the cinnamon seems to fit perfectly this time of year.  I think another reason I don't make them very often is that they are a little more labor intensive.  If you need a good recipe then give this one a try.  I've never had any problems with how these turn out.

Cream together:

1/2 c. softened butter

1/2 c. shortening (I had butter flavored in the pantry and it turned out fine)

1-1/2 c. sugar

4 eggs

Then add:

2-3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt (I just give it a good guess)

This is a very soft dough so I put it in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

After the dough has chilled take a medium sized cookie scoop, or if you don't have one, about a heaping tablespoon sized amount of dough roll it in your favorite blend of cinnamon sugar (I go heavy on the cinnamon) and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  This recipe makes about 36 cookies.

I love they way the make the house smell and the girls were excited to come home to a whole bowl full of them!

We also made our first ever scarecrow today.  I wish we could carve the head but I didn't want it to rot before Halloween.  I also let the girls draw the face.  I'm thinking it needs a hat of some kind but for our first attempt of making one I think it turned out pretty well!  Now, just gotta jump in the shower to get straw out from where straw doesn't belong.  Man that stuff is not fun to work with!