Rollin' in the Dough!
Gee...would'nt that be nice if we really were rollin' in the dough? As in raking in the big bucks...just stacks and stacks of cash as far as the eyes could see. I know money doesn't necessary "buy" happiness but is sure could help to make life a little more happier. I'm just sayin' is all. I mean how unhappy could one be with the ability to purchase that brand new (to me), completely re-furbished 1967 Chevrolette Convertible Corvette in Candy Apple Red? Seriously now...if I could drive one of those every day with the top down and my hair blowing in the wind I'd find it pretty hard to NOT have a smile on my face.
But that is a whole other kind of dough than the one I'm talking about today. Today, I shall share my grandmothers famous Tea Cake Cookie recipe. My mom and I make these every year at Christmas Time. They are seriously addictive...not to sweet but JUST right. I love to eat them with a tall glass of ice cold milk...or a hot cup of coffee...or tea...or because I saw them sitting there and my hand just gravitated towards them. It doesn't matter if I just ate a 9 course meal. If I see these, I MUST eat six one.
Don't they just becon to you? You know that they do. You wanna just reach in and grab one doncha? It's ok. I won't laugh if you tried to pull it off the screen. I wish this screen had a scratch-n-sniff application for you to upload. Just imagine the smell of the most divine sugar cookie-esque smell EVER and then double that. YUM!
This year, we deciced to let all the grandkids (my nieces, nephews and boys) make and decorate the cookies. This was a test of wills for me as I am a obsessive freak bit obsessive with making perfect cookies. But I do believe that they pulled off some pretty awesome master pieces if I do say so myself (and I do say so!).
It starts like this...
Measure out all your ingredients...like DUH!
Mix it all up in your candy apple red Kitchen Aid mixer (ooh la laaaa).
This step is the most important of all...sample your batter. I mean, you HAVE to make sure it tastes good after all before you turn it into cookies. Geesh!
Then roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness.
Then you grab all the little hands you have to start cutting out the dough into fun Christmas Shapes.
After the shapes are cut out and on cookie sheets, put them in the oven to bake for 12ish minutes (or until they are a light golden brown). If you were smart you'd take a picture of this step for people to see what they are suppossed to look like...but I did not experience one of those smart moments. I will blame it on the chaos involved with having seven children helping in the kitchen. That's my story and I'm STICKING TO IT!
While they are baking whip up a batch of the tea cake cookie icing...make it any color you wish...then let the little ones go to town decorating them. With any luck, they will look like this when the are all finished.
Santa would be so proud to see those waiting for him Christmas Morning with an ice cold glass of milk, don't you agree? HECK Yeah he would! Now go get your rolling pin out and start Rollin' in the Dough!
Do you have a special cookie recipe that you love to bake during the holidays? If so, I'd love to hear about it!
1 cup crisco or butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (optional)
Oven 350 degrees
Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla - mix well.
Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Roll dough on floured surface 1/4" thick, use cookie cutters to cut shapes
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Tea Cake Icing:
1/2 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
Use whisk attachment and beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and well blended.
Add vanilla. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
Linking up to the following parties...
So sweet! We have this same family tradition, its so much fun to be in the kitchen together! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful Christmas moment!
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious and so fun that everyone gets to get in on the fun!! Thanks for linking up today Angi!
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