My favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

Last Fall, I bought a cookie press with the image of a Skeleton. I searched for a good Sugar Cookie recipe. It was tough to find one that wouldn't melt/spread as it baked-thus losing the image.

Skeleton Sugar cookies

I tried various recipes. To my disappointment, in order to get the image I had to sacrifice taste. While the skeleton image is cool- I still wanted a yummy cookie.  Later, for the Christmas season, I held two cookie baking parties and again we experimented with Sugar Cookie recipes.  This time the goal was not about the press but merely something the kids could decorate and be tasty. 

I was satisfied but still not in love with the cookies. (oh and let's not forget Frosting. I'm always looking for a good frosting recipe!)

Then, I went to brunch where I was lucky enough to sit across someone who worked in a bakery. (I could not WAIT to talk to her about baking! It's fascinating to me and I was excited to pick her brains!

But back to the sugar cookies. She said I should look for a Cream Cheese Cookie recipe. She said that's what they always use at her bakery. oooh I dashed home to look it up.
I found this recipe:

cream-cheese-sugar-cookies

The website not only covered this delicious (and EASY) cookie recipe but it also contains the best Royal Icing recipe (ALSO easy) I have ever found.

Here are the cookie ingredients and directions:

Dough

• 1 cup soft butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 3½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Blend butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and egg. Mix in remaining dry ingredients and blend into the creamed mixture. Chill for 1 hour. Roll out dough on floured surface until ¼ inches thick (a must!) Cut with desired cookie cutter shape and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool.

Here are the icing ingredients and directions.

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons soft butter

¼ tsp almond extract

Milk to desired consistency

1. Mix all your frosting ingredients and add some food coloring if desired. For these apple cookies, I used Wilton's Leaf Green and Red Icing colors. Frost cookies when cool. Add any desired decorations. I used some red sanding sugar on the red frosting.

(I didn't use food coloring as directed from the original website-she was creating apples and I wanted fluffy white clouds and a white frosting under the sprinkles. You can certainly add any color you wish to match whatever shape you cut out!)

I hope you will try these cookies. I have made them twice now and can not stop myself from eating them!!!  

These cookies are from my daughter's 4th birthday. The theme was My Little Pony. The Cloud cookies were my favorite though she loved the ones with the sprinkles!  (something for everyone!)

This recipe is easy, delicious AND holds it's shape. No melting or spreading as you bake. They are truly my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Do you have another Sugar cookie recipe? I'd love to share!! 

Happy Baking!

Butternut Squash Fettucini Alfredo

It's been a while since I did a new recipe! (or maybe took the time to blog a new recipe.)  Lately, I have gotten into selling things through our town's Buy, Sell, Trade page on Facebook. 

I even sold our CAR!! (seriously-I posted the pics and description and in less than an hour a couple was at our house and they bought it!!) 

Anyway, so while perusing Buzzfeed I found several delicious looking pasta recipes. 

Buzzfeed27 Easy Pasta recipes

I HAD to try this one! 

Butternut Squash Browned Butter and Rosemary Fettucini Alfredo

The recipe promises it'll be ready in 30 minutes (and it was!), that it's a lighter version of Fettucini Alfredo, and has lots of flavor. All promises delivered!

Here's the recipe:

butternut-squash-browned-butter-and-rosemary-fettucini-alfredo/

Ingredients

• 16 oz. whole wheat fettucini noodles (or any other whole grain pasta you want!)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock or, in a pinch, water)
• 3 cups prepared diced butternut squash (about 1/2 a large squash)
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cut up Butternut squash. This is about 1/2 of a large squash. This is about 3 cups.

You can look at my previous post on how to prepare the squash.

Butternut Squash Soup

4 tablespoons of butter and a small onion chopped

1 tablespoon of Rosemary finely chopped

Allow butter to get nice and brown, and onions cooked to translucent before adding the Rosemary and about a cup of Chicken Broth

Add the cups of butternut squash and cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes till soft. 

Meanwhile, make your pasta. I had on hand regular Spaghetti noodles but you can use any. The recipe uses a Fettucini Noodle but these are just as delicious!

Once soft, mash with a potato masher.

Add one cup of milk, salt and pepper, heat milk through and then use an immersion blender to make smooth.  (If you don't have one you can use a food processor.)

Pour over noodles.

The flavors are so wonderful! The browned butter, rosemary and the squash. YUMMM

I also took it to work for my dinner and it reheated beautifully!

If you want- you can eat it as a soup!  

Thank you Buzzfeed! I can't wait to try more of their recipes!

Scrambled Eggs with Ricotta and Spinach

Spinach, and Ricotta Scrambled eggs.

Spinach! Wash and clean and add to skillet with Olive Oil. Heat on medium till the spinach wilts.

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl. Add two tablespoons of Ricotta cheese. Mix. Pour over spinach. Season with Salt and pepper.  Pull edges into the middle until cooked through. Don't overcook.

Add a sprig of Dill if you are so inclined (I am!) and a piece of rustic bread with butter and Cherry preserves. What an amazing, QUICK and delicious breakfast!