Six Sisters PB Cookies are the Best

So that I can always find it, I'm posting for the first time in almost a year. I was reading through some of my old posts and found that I kind of miss my blog.
I recently found an amazing peanut butter cookie posted by Six Sisters Stuff. I've made these twice. The first time I made them I had some leftover dough so instead of baking up all the cookies and letting them go stale because we can't eat that many treats all at once, I froze the leftover dough. I never baked that dough, but it quickly disappeared anyway because the dough was so good I'd snitch a ball of dough or two or three for dessert over the next few days.
Click this link for the recipe. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/disneylands-peanut-butter-cookies/

Lemon Cookies

While thumbing through the holiday cookbook from Six Sisters'Stuff I noticed that their recipe for red velvet cream cheese cookies and the one for gooey butter cookies were almost the same. The concept is to use a cube of butter, a package of cream cheese and a box of cake mix. I figured it wouldn't make any difference what flavor of cake mix was used, it just depended on what you were in the mood for, and I was right. I was in the mood for lemon! Depending on what flavor cake mix you use, you can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or other chips (but not Doritos chips because that would be gross.) 

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for more lemon flavor use lemon extract)

1 box lemon cake mix (ignore directions on the box)

Powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg and the extract, and beat until combined. Add the dry cake mix in about three installments until completely moistened. 

Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough into balls and dip in powdered sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, or use a Silpat liner. Bake for 10-13 minutes. I pulled mine out at 11 to 11 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven and sift additional powdered sugar over tops of cookies. Move to wire rack to cool. 

Makes about 30 cookies. 

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried using the mobile version of Blogger but the learning curve was steeper than I was willing to climb, so while I'm in St. George (which may or may not be forever) I will have to blog when I have an internet connection. I made these cookies a couple days ago and gave most of them away before they did too much damage to my resolution to not let my snack calories outnumber other meals. 

                  

These are from Six Sisters' Stuff and were delicious. I made a couple of changes (big surprise there, huh?). Here's a link to the original recipe.   

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup white chocolate chips 

1/2 cup cinnamon chips 

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, beat together softened butter and both sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and soda, the salt and cinnamon, then stir in the oats. Finally, stir in the chips. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined (or baking mat) cookie sheet. 

Bake 9-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack. 

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.  

Bliss in Every Bite

I made some cookies on Monday that are probably the most delicious chocolate peanut butter combination I have ever tasted before.

The recipe is the brain child of Lizzy Early from Your Cup of Cake. The only difference between hers and mine is that I added the extra drizzle, which is just leftover ganache that is also under the baby Reese's peanut butter cups. Lizzy suggests that you make a depression in the cookie before baking. I used the back of this measuring spoon (it's a tablespoon). 

Once the cookies are baked (and they are super fast and easy since they start with a cake mix), you fill them with a peanut butter frosting and then a peanut butter/chocolate ganache, topped with mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Not miniature Reese's, but mini Reese's. They are each about the size of my baby fingernail. As if that wasn't enough, I made this on the same day. It's from Six Sister's Stuff.

You can get the recipe for that right here.  But their recipe doesn't have that layer of peanut butter goo in it. For me, that's practically the best part of the fudge, so here's that peanut butter sauce recipe. 

Okay, the treats are ready! It's time for friends to come over. The set up in the back was for banana splits. 

Yummy! I made some hot fudge sauce and more peanut butter sauce for the splits, but I left my triple crock pot on high and the sauces overheated. We just dipped out of the very center and we survived. I thought the cookies were even better the next day. I couldn't stop eating them, so I had to give every last one of them away. 

S'morekies

A very long time ago, we tried a chocolate chip cookie/s'more cookie that was really delicious. I never blogged them and so I thought I'd better do it now so I won't forget them. These are adapted from a blog called Bakergirl.

I've decided to call these...S'more cookies, or S'morekies!

S'morekies

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening (necessary to get the right amount of "melt" to the dough)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups packed brown sugar

4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
12 oz chocolate chips (we prefer milk chocolate)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows (plus a few extras)
6 regular sized Hershey bars, cut into 24 pieces per bar
2 boxes graham crackers (I've found ones already halved, labeled as S'mores sized- perfect!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and shortening until light and creamy (about 3-4 minutes). Add both sugars and continue to beat until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients together and add to the butter/egg mixture. Blend slowly, just until combined. That's a lot of flour to add all at once, so watch out for exploding flour back in your face if you start your mixer up too quickly! Stir in chocolate chips (both sizes) and marshmallows (reserving the few extras).
Spread out your half-sized graham crackers onto the parchment paper. Place a golf ball sized scoop of cookie dough onto the graham cracker. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add a couple of the reserved marshmallows and a couple of the Hershey bar pieces to each cookie. Work quickly! Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
These were devoured as soon as they were cool enough to handle. My grandchildren gave them two thumbs up as well.

My Baby Turns 30!

Happy Birthday, Danny! My baby boy is 30 today. How time flies by. He was a darling baby, the cutest toddler, a funny kid and a hilarious teenager. Now he is a handsome man and a dedicated father. I couldn't be more proud of him. I love you Danny! 

Danny and Erin in Venice, Italy

Danny and Claire and Jackson in Georgia

And to celebrate Danny's birthday, let's bake some cookies! Cookies are fun, especially when they are funfetti cookies!

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and since my sister wanted to be a taste-tester, I took them to our "Girl's Lunch" yesterday. I've been eating a lot less sugar these days which is why my sister said I thought these were too sweet (and I certainly don't miss the 17 pounds I've lost and hope never to "find" again!). Perhaps you won't think they are too sweet though. 

The plate was nearly empty before lunch was over. 

Funfetti Cookies (slightly adapted from Crazy for Crust)

1/2 cup butter, softened (that's 1 stick)

1 cup sugar (next time I make these I'm going to use less sugar and see what happens)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp butter extract (can be omitted if you don't have any)
1/4 tsp table salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles (or color of your choice to match a holiday)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In stand mixer, beat butter and sugar for about three minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract (and butter extract if using). Add in the salt, baking soda, and pudding and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until it is incorporated. Stir in sprinkles. I used my small cookie scoop and dropped these onto my parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until just barely beginning to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to cooling rack.
In the original recipe over at Crazy for Crust, she never mentioned when to put in the butter extract or the sprinkles. I pointed that out to her with a comment and she fixed the butter extract directions but still didn't fix the sprinkles direction. Oh well. I'm going to play around with this recipe a little bit to see if I can make it more to my own liking. You try it the way it's written and tell me if you think it is too sweet or if it is just right. I'm dying to know.

And once again, Happy Birthday to Danny!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

These need to make it onto your Christmas cookie platter. I put them together three different ways and loved them all. Bake up your favorite sugar cookie recipe. I have a couple of favorite recipes that I really like. Try this one, or this one or try this one, depending on whether or not you have any sour cream or cream cheese in the house. Once you have the cookies baked, it's time for the frosting!

You can sandwich two cookies together

or you can pile some frosting on top

or you can omit the frosting and dip one edge in melted white chocolate and just sprinkle on some crushed candy canes (apologies for the weird lighting on the third photo. It was late which made for an off-red coloring). My favorite cookie was the middle option.

Peppermint Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar, divided

8 regular-sized candy canes (with more for decorating, if desired)

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp clear vanilla extract

5-10 drops of peppermint oil (or extract to taste)

2-4 T milk

1/2 cup Cool Whip, thawed

In a food processor, add one cup of powdered sugar and the candy canes (I got that idea from my friends at OBB from this post). Pulse until you hear only small crunching sounds instead of major crunching sounds. You want the candy canes to be fairly small in size, but not turned entirely into dust particles. You can see the bits of candy in the photos. 

Cream butter for about a minute. Add the extract(s) and/or oil, and add the remaining powdered sugar (3 cups). Beat until it is well blended. It will be quite stiff at this point. Add 2 T of milk and continue beating. Check the consistency and if you want it a little thinner, add a little more milk. Fold in Cool Whip. This makes a nice light, not too sweet frosting that you can sandwich between cookies or pile on top of cookies. Then either roll the edges in crushed candy canes, or sprinkle on top of the cookie. 

To make a great tasting cookie without making the frosting, melt about 1 cup of white chocolate discs in the microwave for one minute. Stir the chocolate and melt for 30 more seconds if necessary. Dip one edge of cooled cookie into the chocolate and set on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with finely chopped candy canes. Let set for at least 15 minutes. 

Snake Cookies

I have a fun cookie for you, just in time for Halloween. This can be done with any holiday color scheme, so if you are too stressed with Halloween plans, keep it in mind for Christmas, Easter, Independence Day or whatever! Make up your favorite sugar cookie recipe. If you don't have one, use this one from Our Best Bites. Once you get your dough made, separate it into however many colors you want in your cookie and tint your dough. I separated mine into four balls, and then split one ball in half so that my white and black stripes weren't as predominant as the green, purple and orange.

Now comes the fun part. Roll each color into a long rope and place them together. 

These are two feet long. 

Then slice off one inch at a time of the ropes. 

Take that one inch of dough, tip it on its side and press it together into a little circle, like this. 

Tip that circle back onto its edge and roll the dough into a "snake" about 8-10 inches long. Here's the trick- once you have it long enough, roll one end toward you and the other end away from you. This will give you a nice striped pattern.

Starting at either end, coil up the snake.

Sometimes you will see that your colors are matching up with the layer right next to them. 

If that happens (and you dislike it), just roll the tail of the snake slightly and it will eliminate that problem. 

Pick out some coordinating jimmies (sprinkles, decorettes, or whatever you want to call them) and roll the edge of the cookie in them, overlapping onto the top of the cookie a little bit. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.

These would also look great as a cookie pop. 

Next time I'll make them that way and show you what I mean! Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

My sister says pumpkin recipes are only allowable during October and November, but I've already fudged on that rule. I wanted to give you lots of time to get your pumpkin recipes into your menu planning before it is banished again until next fall! And what better place to start than with dessert?

Pumpkin Cream Pie 
Crust:
1 pkg. graham crackers (not 1 box, 1 package or sleeve)
1/2 pkg. Biscoff cookies
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted
Filling:
1 (3.4 ounce) pkg. instant pumpkin spice pudding (if it's unavailable, use instant vanilla pudding, but it is really better with the pumpkin pudding)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 T brown sugar
Preheat oven to 300°F. In a food processor (if you have one- or a Ziplock baggie and a rolling pin if you don't), grind graham crackers and Biscoff cookies until finely crushed (or if it suits your fancy, use ginger snaps instead of the Biscoff cookies). Add the powdered sugar and melted butter and process until combined. Reserve about 1/4 cup of crumbs. Press remaining mixture into bottom and up the sides of your pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. If you're feeling lazy, use a pre-made graham cracker pie crust.
Mix together the pudding, milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Fold in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Whip 1/2 cup heavy cream and the brown sugar together until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour mixture into pie crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
If you're calorie conscious, substitute 1 cup of Cool Whip for the 1/2 cup of whipping cream, omitting the brown sugar for the last step before pouring mixture into the crust. However, if you're going to eat pie, just eat the pie and maybe work out a little longer tomorrow.
This recipe was majorly adapted from one I looked at on the Pioneer Woman's website. It ended up being changed so much that it was basically a new pie, but I will give her credit for the idea.

My Favorite Cookies Ev-ah! Edited!

Sadly, this post must be edited. I made these cookies my own self tonight. I bit into it when it was cool enough to handle. What? That wasn't the same irresistible cookie I ate a few days ago when I couldn't stop eating them. What happened? 

Luckily, Laura was here when I made these tonight. I asked her why they were different. She then had to CONFESS! She didn't follow the recipe exactly. What was different? Twice the zest and twice the lemon juice. I even doubled my recipe, so I had four dozen cookies that were only meh-okay. I take away my rave review from Lauren Brennan and give new credit to Laura Read for the most incredible cookie ev-ah! The recipe has been edited to the new and improved recipe and I rescind former credit and now give credit where credit is due, to Boo (aka Laura). 

(This was the original posted text, but the recipe is revised.) A couple of weeks ago, I pinned these cookies. When my sister saw the pinned recipe, she asked to taste one. I had hoped to make them for Bud's birthday party, but it didn't happen. I was away for just under an hour today, and when I came home, Laura was in the process of putting these on the cookie sheet to be baked. I tasted some of the dough, just as Laura was letting Eliot play with the last bit of dough. I was envious, because I wanted more. I would just have to wait for the finished product. 

When they were cool enough to bite into, I did so and Laura asked how they were. I said, "They are DIVINE!" I immediately sent a text to my sister asking if she was home. She said she was just getting into the car. I told her to stop by on her way out (that's one of the things that is so neat about living in the same neighborhood). I gave her a cookie. She bit into it and Laura asked how it was. She said, "DIVINE!" Laura and I laughed, since that was the very word I had used. These are indeed divine! Laura said, "As soon as you finish eating one, you want to start eating another one!" The (adapted) recipe comes from an unexpected source, LDS Living Magazine. I would suggest doubling this recipe since it only makes two dozen, and that doesn't leave any to share. At least that's how it worked around here. 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies (by Laura Read)

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
zest of one lemon
fresh lemon juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 T)
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour (by weight this will be 180 grams of flour)
½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly (excluding the powdered sugar) until just combined, . Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Maiden Voyage

I guess I shouldn't really call it a voyage since it didn't travel anywhere, but I broke out the new Kitchen Aid mixer this morning (I was kind of celebrating something!).

Here it is- out of the box and ready to go. 

Look how much easier it is to add stuff and take pictures of the tornado happening inside the bowl. 

Here's what I made. I'm going to call them Big Island Cookies because they're big (I used the large scoop- nine cookies to a pan. And they have coconut, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips packed in there. Since I relate macadamia nuts to Hawaii (specifically the "Big Island", since I've been to the Mauna Loa factory twice there), that's going to be the name. That, and it's too much trouble to say White Chocolate Chip cookies with Macadamia nuts and Coconut. 

Big Island Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened slightly

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 T vanilla extract

3 cups flour (or 430 grams if you want to weigh it)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

11 tsp baking soda

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy;  then add eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix just until incorporated. Add the nuts, chips and coconut and mix until it's all together and everyone is being friends with everyone else. 

Use a large cookie scoop (or spoon) to dollop a golf ball-sized amount of dough onto the cookie sheet (my pan doesn't have to be greased, so I hope the dough doesn't stick to your pan. If you think it might, give it a shot of cooking spray or use a parchment paper). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are just starting to brown (barely). Makes about 3 dozen cookies. 

Like Banana Pie, But Not

Last week before my sister got sick (again), she made us a wonderful dessert. It was so delicious that the next time I needed to make a dessert, I knew I was going to make the same recipe. Bud's cousin dinner was last Monday, so there was my event.

The recipe is from Six Sister's Stuff. They call it Easy Banana Cream Pie (with Nilla Wafer Crust). I changed it a little bit from what they've done because I thought it needed a little more pudding in the middle. Oh, and I added some toasted coconut to the top because coconut is divine. If Karen was here, it would not have any coconut on it, of course. I liked the chewy texture it added.

Easy Banana Cream Dessert (adapted from Six Sister's Stuff)

80 Nilla Wafer cookies, crushed (about one 12 oz box)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (light is fine)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 (8 oz) containers Cool Whip, thawed (light is fine)
1 box (5.1 oz) banana cream instant pudding

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk (skim is fine)
3 bananas, sliced

Directions: 
Mix together the crushed cookies and melted butter. Press into a 9x13" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 container of Cool Whip. Spread on top of cooled cookie crust.
Beat together the banana cream and vanilla pudding with milk. Let stand for about 4-5 minutes until it has thickened. Spread on top of cream cheese layer.
Spread sliced bananas on top of pudding, covering the entire pan.
Spread the last container of Cool Whip on top of the bananas. Let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving (I found that a whole container on top was a little too much. Use your own judgment). 
Top with caramel sauce, sliced bananas and crushed cookies as a garnish (totally optional, but it makes it look good. I preferred mine without the caramel sauce, but I'm just a little crazy that way). 

National Whatever Day

My niece posted on Facebook that every single day is some kind of national "holiday." For instance, today is National Irish Coffee Day. Bleh. But tomorrow is National Peanut Brittle Day! Now I could get behind that kind of celebration. Some other noteworthy days coming up are National Popcorn Day, National Blueberry Pancake day, National Baked Alaska Day, National Carrot Cake Day, National Homemade Soup Day and National Chocolate Cake Day. If you're ever in need of giving something to someone and you don't know what to do, just look up this chart and see what National Day it is and go with that! I looked up what day it was on my birthday. At first I was not so thrilled with National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day because I had never heard of a hermit cookie. Now I've heard of it and if you'd like to try it, here's a recipe. I think because I don't like nuts so much, I'd have to do something about that, but I'm guessing it would be a great experience for my husband. Maybe I should make some for his birthday instead of mine.

I knew what Karen's birthday item was because she and I have actually celebrated it! Her favorite restaurant makes sure we all know when it is National Cheesecake Day! What is your birthday's National food celebration?
Thanks for the link, Bekah!

One Smart Cookie

Nick now has his master's degree and when he arrived from Columbus, Ohio a few nights ago, Laura had this party waiting for him. The paper on the wall says "That Nick Read - He's one smart cookie!" "Congratulations!"

Snickerdoodles and Buckeyes (peanut butter chocolates- yum)

Ohio State colors (well, the pink should be red...)

We're glad he's done with school and we're way glad he's found a job and we're way way way glad the job is in Utah so I can have my grandbabies back! They left Provo when Agnes was six months old. She'll be seven in a few weeks. Yay that they're back for good!!!
Here's the link for the Buckeyes- they are so delicious!

Yesterday's Cookies

In case you looked at the pumpkin cookie recipe from yesterday and you were disappointed there was not a picture to go with it, I've fixed that, and I've also fixed the recipe so that you don't have to make over eight dozen cookies to try them out, and I've given you the option of a buttercream frosting or a cream cheese frosting.

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

A few weeks ago, our Relief Society presidency announced that they were going to pass around a sheet which would give us the chance to ask for someone's recipe. Someone asked that for this month I give up my pumpkin cookie recipe. I thought I'd post it here as well, just in case you're dying for it. This recipe originally came from my friend, Julie Chambers, and of course I had to tweak it a little bit.

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies (revised)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cream together the sugar and shortening about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin and mix well. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375°F.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 T milk
Beat the butter until it is creamy, then add the remaining ingredients. Spread cooled cookies with frosting.

The original recipe as given to me made over eight dozen cookies! So I did the math for you and cut the recipe in half, and the frosting recipe in fourths.
I gave a plate of these cookies away and the recipient stated that the "cream cheese frosting was divine." The only problem with that statement was that the frosting wasn't cream cheese frosting, but that got me thinking that she was right, that cream cheese frosting would be divine. Here's that option if you'd like it.


Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter, softened slightly
4 oz. cream cheese (I used light, again)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar (I sifted, but you don't have to)
1 T heavy whipping cream (or milk)
Beat the butter and cream cheese for five minutes. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Add the whipping cream (in its liquid state, not whipped) and beat for one minute longer.

Sugar and Spice Cookies

I am visiting teaching companions with my sister. Those are the perks of living in the same ward, and strong-arming the R.S. President to leave it the way I had it when I was released from being the R.S. President. Anyway, my sister always sets up the appointments and all I have to do is show up. She asked me to make a treat for one of the ladies who is having a birthday on Tuesday. I knew she liked sugar cookies so I started with that.

Then I whipped up some pumpkin cream cheese frosting and dusted it with a little more cinnamon. 

But this isn't a very appealing way to deliver the cookies! 

I went to the craft closet, thinking I would have to put some decorations on these boxes I had in there, only to find I'd already done it and forgot that I'd done it! Nice!

Sugar Cookies (adapted from Our Best Bites)

1 cup butter (no substitutions)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg, extra large

2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract)

3 cups flour (16 ounces by weight)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 T milk (if necessary)

Cream butter and sugars together for three minutes. Add egg and extract(s) and blend well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt together and slowly add to the butter mixture. Beat just until it all comes together. If it looks a little dry, add the milk. 

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper set on a baking sheet, and then pop it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the baking sheet and press your cookie cutter straight into the dough while it's still on the parchment paper. Weed the dough (pull up the unused dough), leaving the cut out shapes on the paper and bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on how soft or crisp you like your cookies. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter (that's 1/2 of a stick)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
Beat the butter and cream cheese for two minutes, then add the vanilla. Next, add the powdered sugar, the pumpkin pie spice and the 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Beat until it is blended together. Frost cooled cookies and then use the finest mesh strainer you can find to sprinkle a little more cinnamon onto the frosted cookie.