The Perfect Treat!

Before I give you this great recipe for easy snicker-doodle cookies, I have to tell you that I feel like my childhood was deprived because I have never made a snicker-doodle cookie in my life. I loved to bake and while making chocolate chip cookies is always a fun experience, I did not realize that all the while I should have been making snicker-doodles. What kid would not love to roll the dough and smother each cookie onto a mountain of cinnamon and sugar? If you find one, let me know.

Another note, I never have cream of tartar, and every recipe calls for that particular ingredient which never touches my shelves. This recipe is awesome because you don't need it! I grabbed it from the food network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/snickerdoodles-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sugary Topping:

4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F

Directions:

1. Stir together all the dry ingredients
2. Cream the butter using a paddle (I love to use my cute, red Kitchen-aid for this)
3. Add the sugar (Don't feel bad, your New Year's resolution is to work out more, right?)
4. Add eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Mix until it's nice and smooth.
5. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well.
6. Now, the best way to do this is to let your dough hang out in the refrigerator for about an hour... but if your really impatient like I am, just go to number 7!
7. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugary topping
8. Roll dough into small balls, about the size of an acorn. Smother them in the sugary goodness.
9. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart.
10. Bake 10-12 minutes, until they look slightly golden and cracked.
11. Let them cool.

Invite some friends over. Put on your favorite Christmas movie and serve your tasty cookies with hot chocolate, coffee, or (my personal favorite) warm chai tea.

From my tiny kitchen to yours!

Mmmm Rolls

Thanksgiving is only a few short days away! I can already smell the warm cooked meal that will soon be within the reach of my fork... On that note, this is a great recipe for homemade rolls! I love them because they are sweet, a little buttery, and flavorful! Keep in mind this recipe requires a bread machine and about 3 hours.

Makes around 18 rolls

What you will need:

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons softened butter

3 cups better for bread flour

1/4 cup powdered milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 package active dried yeast (1/4 oz)

an extra tablespoon melted butter (wait until the end)

1. Pull out your bread machine and add water, butter, flour, powdered milk, sugar, and yeast.

2. Set the machine on the dough cycle and press start (now grab a really good book and a cup of Hot Chocolate because this will take about an hour and a half)

3. When the dough is ready pull it out of the bread machine and set on a lightly floured surface

4. Lotion up your hands with a little flour (I'm sure your skin will love it), and divide the dough into 12 to 20 pieces (if you want bigger rolls go for 12, if you want to spread the love go for 18 or 20)

5. Roll the pieces into balls and place them on 2 greased cookie sheets or muffin tins

6. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm area of the house for roughly 45min. to an hour. The rolls should be about double in size... but don't freak out if they aren't, they'll still taste great... just trust me!

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Remove the cloth and smother the top of the rolls with your melted butter (you'll love me for it)

9. Place those puppies in the oven for 15 min.

10. After about 10 min, walk into your kitchen and take a whiff... Dinner never seemed so far away

11. Take them out of the oven and serve with butter!

You will be everyone's favorite mom, wife, daughter, aunt, grandpa (whoever you are at your family's Thanksgiving)!

From my tiny kitchen to yours!