Snow day #2 - baking

....let the baking begin!

I woke up this morning to bright sun reflecting off of yesterday's snow.  Beautiful.  On the off chance that the farmer's market was open this morning I ventured out to see what the snow had done to the city.

This usually busy street was almost deserted this morning.  The whole neighborhood was quiet, except for the sound of a few snow shovels working away.

Those who actually went out last night seemed to have a good time in the snow :)

 

The farmers' market was closed  (no big surprise) but at least it got me out!

I started to make dough for cookies yesterday and after the snow, the stew and the dough making I just didn't have the patience or energy to actually make the cookies.  Guess what I'm doing today!?

Sugar cookies

as found in an issue of Gourmet Magazine, 2005

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Divide the dough into 2 balls and refrigerate at least 2 hours (I left mine in the fridge overnight)

You can decorate your cookies however you like.  I decided to paint them in colored egg wash.  If you choose to do this you have to do it BEFORE you bake the cookies.  Eggwash: I used 2 eggs and a splash of water and divided them into a muffin tin (why not!) and added food coloring.

Now it's time to cut out the cookies!

The recipe recommends you cook them for 10-12 minutes.  My cookies were definitely not done after 12. I left them in for 15-17 minutes depending on how thick I rolled them out.  This is a basic sugar cookie recipe.  You could add flavoring to the dough or decorate the cookies with colored sugar, royal icing, raisins.. whatever you want!  I didn't think this recipe made enough cookies (not sure why I thought I needed more than the cookies below, but.. in case you are making these as gifts, I would double the recipe.