Warm Cookies and Soft Blankets

When the days become cold and dark, don't you just love curling up with a good book, some cozy covers, and a tasty snack?

These lovely bloggers are sharing their favorite cookie ideas for this month's challenge!  It's not possible to have too many cookies!  ;-)

Across the Blvd | Coastal Bohemian

This Autoimmune Life | My Slices of Life

Domestic Deadline | Stone Cottage Adventures | Comfort Spring

Here's my recipe for 

The Best Sugar Cookies EVER

(Seriously, I've been tweaking this recipe since about 1990) 

1/2 Cup Salted Butter, softened

1/3 Cup Cream Cheese, softened

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Almond Flour

about 1-3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour

Cream together the butter and cream cheese thoroughly.  I use my stand up mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times before adding more ingredients.  Stir in sugar and almond flour, then the egg and vanilla.  This is another spot where I scrape the bowl a couple of times, making sure the batter is smooth.  Start mixing in the flour.  I add one cup at first, get it incorporated and then start adding a little at a time.  Humidity seems to play a big role in exactly how much flour is needed.  When the batter is sticking to itself, but not sticking to anything else, it's ready.  Chill for at least 30 minutes if you plan to shape it.  Otherwise, just drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet.  My cookie cutter collection is pretty crazy, so I enjoy rolling out the dough and using them!  My oven is preheated to 350 and I bake them 9 minutes.  When they are just barely beginning to turn brown, get them out of the oven.  Leave on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes to cool.

Sweet friend, Erika, spent an evening with us last week just so we could decorate these cookies!  She says I am her Spirit Animal, but I prefer to call us Kindred Spirits.  To-may-toe, to-mah-toe.  ;-)  We got a little crazy in the kitchen and had so much fun!  Not one single cookie is the same.  I don't know how many different colors and types of sprinkles we used.  They were ALL out on the cabinet.  My kitchen was completely wrecked by the time we finished.  No worries, though.  Erika helped me clean and get everything in the dishwasher.  Handsome Husband went to bed way before we were finished.  He said he enjoyed listening to our happy chatter and laughter.  That's what the focus of baking should be about, enjoying your Kindred Spirits.

Here is my version of

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting EVER

1/2 Cup Butter, softened

1 Cup Cream Cheese, softened

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

about 3 or 4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese thoroughly.  They need to be smooth before adding anything else, so I scrape the bowl a couple of times before continuing.  Stir in vanilla and one cup powdered sugar.  Make sure your frosting is smooth before adding more powdered sugar.  Keep stirring in powdered sugar until it is the consistency you like.  For icing the cookies with a spatula, I prefer the mix to be pretty soft.  If I am piping, however, more powdered sugar is added to make the frosting very stiff.

And, of course, don't forget the sprinkles! 

As we approach the celebration of Jesus' birth, I hope you home is filled with warm cookies, soft blankets and the laughter of your kindred spirits.  Merry Christmas!

Let's see what the other talented bloggers brought to the table!

;-)  -Marci

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