Simple cookies are great too.

Sometimes you just want a simple cookie - this is that cookie - but also its deliciously simple. It also froze beautifully in dough balls so I could make the dough one day and freeze it for use on another. These cookies were made for a Christmas event but could easily be thawed, rolled in sugar, and baked. They did just that! They were for Christmas but for sure could be used for an even with any sprinkles or sanding sugar for any holiday or birthday you might find yourself needing a soft delicious cookie! Since this was a family event I decided this sort of cookie was perfect for those looking for a non-chocolate, non nut simple cookie. Not much else to say - simple great cookies - easy to make, freeze well, bake up like a puffy dream.

Christmas Cookie Sparkles
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (16 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sanding sugar, red and green or assorted colors

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed until relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be thick. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days. If chilling for longer than 2-3 hours, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard and the cookies may not spread.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Pour sanding sugar in a bowl or, if using multiple colors, a few separate bowls.
Roll balls of cookie dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie, then roll each ball in the sanding sugar to coat. Place each dough ball 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Using the back of a measuring cup or drinking glass, gently press down on each dough ball to slightly flatten. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week.

Winter's BFF - the electric tea kettle

Welcome to the south suburbs of Chicago in December where there isn't a warm spot in your kitchen for dough to rise. Enter in - the Electric Tea Kettle!! It was Andy's birthday and fresh bread seemed like an easy addition to dinner - this recipe made one loaf which is perfect for us. I tossed the ingredients into my fancy mixer and started up my electric tea kettle - then tucked it next to the mixer with the dough inside. After about 30 minutes I started it up again - it bubbled away and it provided just enough warmth to keep the dough toasty and rising. This bread is supposed to cool completely before cutting, that did not happen. We each had warm slices with butter melted into it (ok Country Crock). So good. The perfect carby addition to our dinner.

Soft Fluffy French Bread Recipe
2.5-3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pink salt
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 egg beaten for top of bread

Start by activating your yeast. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of the sugar with the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until it’s frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2.5 cups of flour, the remaining sugar, and salt. Stir until well mixed.
Make a well in the center of your dry mixture. Pour in the activated yeast mixture and the olive oil. Mix well until the dough starts to come together.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover again, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat the egg and brush it over the top of your loaf for a beautiful golden crust.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing. This is the hardest part – waiting!

Worth inhaling powdered sugar...

Our church does a live nativity in December, this is our third year working in the Bakery. We love it. Well, Nicholas was a shepherd this year - but we'll keep him as an honorary bakery member. I offered to bake a bunch of cookies and tried out this Crinkle recipe. I ended up make all drop cookies this year and freezing them as dough balls a few weeks ahead. That way I could just toss them on trays and bake them a few days before with less work. December seems to be the month of unending to do's and events to attend and prepare for. I did have to thaw these because they get not one - but two coats of sugar - one of white sugar and one of powdered sugar. I didn't taste test these until the event and oh man - they were so good. The double coating makes the powdered sugar stick and not soak in. Worth the possible inhaling of powdered sugar.

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
Rolling
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined and then beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick and very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Scoop and roll dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. A medium cookie scoop is helpful here. Roll each ball very lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Put a Candle in that Shrimp!

For Andy's birthday this year he requested corned beef and cabbage - which is not only a sometimes food - but a weekend food. Takes too long to prep all the parts and pieces and for the crockpot to do its work. So for his actual birthday I made this Garlic Butter Shrimp dish. No lemon - so that was a win for me. I ended up doubling the recipe - mostly because I had all the ingredients to do it and two guys who eat a lot! This was a very easy recipe and with some prep ahead went very fast. Everyone loved it and we even put a candle in a shrimp to wish Happy Birthday to the birthday boy. Into my O shrimps because I overcooked them... if you have C shrimp they are cooked... O's are over cooked... they are always overcooked... oh well... good thing my family will eat O's.

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
8 ounces fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups baby arugula or spinach
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Stir in pasta, arugula and Parmesan until arugula begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Justification Unnecessary

What goes perfect on Sweet Potato Rolls, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast and Flat Tires? Cinnamon Butter. This is amazing. How can so few ingredients get together and produce such happiness so quick and easily? This was special for Thanksgiving Dinner - I was able to make it a few days ahead which was nice to get something done for the big day early. I mean we do Thanksgiving really low key anyway - but I do enjoy something I can make ahead. This butter is now in our fridge and being used on just about anything that we can justify it for... and sometimes... not much justification needed.

Homemade Cinnamon Butter
1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
pinch of salt

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients, starting with only 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Beat on medium-high speed until extra creamy and a little fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Taste. Add more cinnamon (up to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons) and/or more salt if desired.
Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and/or a sprinkle of cinnamon or flaky sea salt. Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 months.