Leaping Year

A Leap Year is when the calendar year is extended to have 366 days - adding February 29th.

I don’t really get it but the day is added to put the calendar year in line with the length of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. 

I made this simple lillypad cookie and green (lime) Tootsie Roll frog to mark the 2012 leap year.

The day is added once every four years but I hope I have another occasion to make these cookies before 2016.

RRRoll Up The Rim Donut Cookies

It’s that time of year again, the time that all Canadians covet.  When people across our great country are running to Timmys, grabbing their double doubles and rolling their RRR’s.  Yes, it is RRRoll Up The Rim To Win time at Tim Hortons.  This annual event takes place from the third week in February until they run out of cups.  To celebrate, I made vanilla dip donut cookies, got a coffee, RRRolled but have yet to win anything.  

These cookies look so much like a donut that people thought the coffee cup was the cookie but I think that would infringe on some copyright thing (actually this whole post is probably problematic...).  So simple, so sprinkled and so fun.

Happy RRRoll Up The Rim To Win!

Let me know if you win anything.

Also curious to know what you think of the new Tim Horton coffee sizes.

Red Carpet Fabulous

The Academy Awards are on Sunday.  I had been thinking about making a different cookie to represent each of the Best Picture nominations (like a key, Hawaiian shirt, paint palette…) but I ran out of time.  That being said I wanted to make these award cookies for a really long time, but it took me a while to find the perfect cookie cutter (and I wish I could remember where I got it…).  Then Bakerella make these perfect stand up awards, so ever my inspiration, I needed to try these 3D cookies.

I think they came out "Red Carpet fabulous".   Plus, you can hold them up and say "You like me, you really, really like me" -- and who wouldn't like a sweet sugar cookie?

My favorite one is “Best Cookie” – I wonder why?

Have Heart

Nothing really says Happy Valentine’s Day, like a simple heart.  I made about one hundred of these hearts using white, pink and, of course, red royal icing (not to mention heart & lip sprinkles & candy).  They were so fun to make because I could be as creative as or as simple as I wanted.  My favorite decorated cookies are often incorporate white on white.  I just love the way the red hearts pops on the white. 

I truly hope that your day is as sweet as a cookie.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cinnamon Bun Cookies

So you know that Valentine’s Day is coming up.  I have been thinking a recipe to share. Valentine’s Day is synonymous with cinnamon because of those yummy cinnamon hearts which, by the way, are a perfect sweet and just right spicy.  So I started to think about cinnamon.  And, when I think about cinnamon, I think about cinnamon buns or Cinnabons which are those yummy  yeast dough buns filled with cinnamon and topped with cream cheese frosting.  But you know, I’m all about the cookie so I started to think about cinnamon bun cookies.  See how my mind works? 

I found an amazing cinnamon bun cookie on Recipe Girl which she found in the King Arthur Flour Companion. And here they are a recipe with my own little directional twists.

This is a perfect cinnamon treat to make for your loveys on Valentines Day.  And because they are so great, I think you may like to bake at other times too.

And here is how to make them…

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

1/2 cup powdered sugar 


3/4 cup unsalted butter 


1/2 teaspoon salt 


1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cinnamon Centre

1 large egg white 


1 Tablespoon water 


1/4 cup granulated white sugar 


1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar 


2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream can also use milk or water too

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 


1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions & Tips

Cookie Dough

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add the flour, stirring until the dough comes together. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.  If you are making the cookies right away then no need to wrap and refrigerate.

Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll it into a 9x12-inch rectangle.   I use a ruler because these cookies really look better if the sheet of dough is the right size and fairly consistent.

Cinnamon Center

In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and water until foamy. Brush onto rolled out dough.

In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly over the dough.

Cinnamon Bun Assembly

Starting with a long edge, carefully roll the dough into a log.

Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment, and freeze until firm.  You can make this days or probably weeks ahead and keep the logs in the freezer until you want to bake the cookies.

Baking

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, gently trim each end.  The recipe makes 24 cookies so to ensure the cookies are approximately the same size, I cut the log in four even quarters and then cut six cookies from each quarter.

Transfer them to the parchment lined baking sheets. If the log got a bit flattened on one side in the freezer, simply reshape into a circle.  Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they're a light golden brown.

Icing

Sift or strain the powdered sugar and cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl to remove any lumps. Whisk the cream (or milk or water) and vanilla into the sugar to make a smooth icing. Drizzle, pipe or spread icing onto cookies.

My husband liked them so much he asked me NOT to make them again.  And I love him so much, I won't... until I need to.  If you make these cookies for your loved ones, them let me know how they turn out.

HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

S.W.A.K.

Blowing kisses and writing letters – busy, busy, busy for Valentine’s Day.  I made these S.W.A.K envelopes and my husband questioned if people know that S.W.A.K stands for Sealed With A Kiss.  I think everyone knows S.W.A.K. but just in case, I also made some kisses to bring the point home. 

As a kid, we always S.W.A.K.ed our camp letters.  So now I’m thinking both the envelope and letter can be used as a care package for some happy camper – but I will blog some camp cookies in July.

In the meantime I’m still thinking about the acronym S.W.A.K.  So, really did anyone need the whole definition OR is it just my “Mr. Romantic”?

Funky Tea Cookies

Think tea cookies are just for teatotallers?  Think again!  Love these white hearts (but so many cookies work) with a small cutout to hang on a mug -- they look super fun on the polka dot mugs.   But, honestly, these mugs and cookies are not just for teatotallers because I’m quite certain they are equally yummy with hot chocolate and marshmallows.