HAPPY NEW YEAR... And More...

COOKIES.

I love cookies, especially home made sugar cookies. Especially these sugar cookies, these Million Dollar Sugar Cookies.

When I left you I had mixed everything up and stuck it in the fridge to cool. It makes it easier to ball the dough in the next step.

I just take a teaspoon and scoop up the dough, then, depending on my mood, I either roll it into a ball or just kinda wad it up some and put it on the cookie sheet.

I did some of both when I cooked these up last night. I did the little wads first, because I wanted to get them in the oven and cooked so I'd have some to snack on, otherwise I'd eat more cookie dough than I'd make up into cookies.

After you get it wadded or rolled and onto the pan, it's time for MORE SUGAR!!! You take a flat bottomed glass, in this case an Oklahoma State Cowboys glass in honor of how well they did this season even if they got whipped in the Holiday Bowl, and you squash the bottom into some sugar in a bowl and you flatten the cookie balls.

I like to make them pretty flat, less than 1/4 inch because I like them more crisp, but you will have to determine what you like best. If you don't want them as crisp don't squash them as flat.

Then all that's left to do is bake and prepare for the battle, because you're gonna have to fight people off to get your fair share. Yes, in my opinion, they are that good.

And the finished project. I got this pan just a bit brown on the edges, but they are still tasty. Did I mention that I don't cook much? So I wasn't used to how the oven heats. The top rack was more true to the time on the recipe... the bottom was hotter, so less time was necessary. These were cooked on the bottom rack.



I'd print photos of me chowing down and savoring these crispy, delectable (that's a good 35 cent word) cookies, but I've been told that I could be arrested for indecent exposure. And extreme mis-behavior. And lustful drooling...


Now for the recipe...

MILLION DOLLAR SUGAR COOKIES

1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. butter
1 C. oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream both sugars and softened butter. Add oil and mix well. Add eggs, vanilla and mix again. Sift together flour, salt, soda and cream of tartar. Add to batter.

Chilling for at least 1 hour will make the cookies easier to handle. Form into balls of about 1". Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Then throw your arms around them 'cause you are going to love them.

P.S. I get kitchen privileges because I do clean up after myself. Very well.

What Happens When...

They turn me loose in the kitchen...

I decided that I wanted to make one of my favorite cookies, Million Dollar Sugar Cookies.

Anytime I volunteer to cook anything, Missy just kind of raises her eyebrow and lets out a mostly quiet groan. I don't often do anything in the kitchen besides walk through and get something to drink, or do dishes or clean the stove or mop the floor.

I do cook a little bit once in a while, in fact last night I made a one skillet dinner called Mexican
Dinner (a real original name). It's also one of my favorites and is really easy.

But I wanted sugar cookies. When it comes to light weight stuff like flour and powdered sugar, I can sometimes get a little messy. A lot messy. I bought this mixer for Carol (Missy as I sometimes call her) last year for Christmas.

I, once again, don't usually do anything other than carry it to the table for her to use. In fact, I think today s the first time I've used it since we brought it home.

I mostly did okay with creaming the butter and sugar together, but then I added a cup of powdered sugar. Not being familiar with the speeds on the mixer, I turned it up too fast and, whoosh, the powdery stuff went flying.

No problem, slow it down and add more powdered sugar, right? Right. Then after the oil, vanilla, and eggs are all creamed in, I put the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl and started mixing them in, nice and slow.

After adding about half of the flour, being the bright person I am in the kitchen, I decided that,
since it was thicker I needed to speed it up a bit. Whoosh, there it goes again. After that fog I just put it on nice and slow and left it there.

For those of you that haven't had enough of sugar cookies, or like me, can't get enough of sugar cookies, I will post the recipe on the next post.

The cookie dough is in the fridge right now. The recipe says it's easier to roll 'em into balls to smash if you put them in for a couple of hours, so when I do the next step and cook them so you can see the results, I'll share the recipe with you.

But I'm warning you now, these cookies are sooooo good they are bound to become favorites. If you need to lose 20 pounds like I do you may want to disregard my next post.

Just try, I triple dog dare you!!!