A Sweet Strawberry Season

Last Friday was the first day of strawberry season, so the kids and I headed out that morning to do some picking. I knew this would be our only opportunity to go picking during the short season since we have VBS every morning this week, and I definitely did not want to go out to the fields in the heat of the afternoon. Plus, very, very soon we will be leaving for our vacation. (Tropical island! No children! Eeeeeee!)

{Riding the wagon out to the fields is a favorite!}

Things went very smoothly this year, and I decided to ask for another big box so we could continue picking after we filled the first one. By the time they were tired, we had 16 pounds of sweet, juicy strawberries! This is probably twice the amount we picked last year, and it is fair to say that we have gone a bit overboard. (It helped that I had remembered the check book this time around, so I wasn't worried about going over my limited amount of cash.)

In general, I was more prepared than last year. We had quarters for the animal feed stations since there is a petting farm at this berry patch. (I didn't know that before...) Other essentials that we know to bring besides sunscreen and the camera included: our hats, our rain boots (good thing, too, because it was very muddy!), our dark-colored shirts (old clothes are crucial, here; I was surprised to see what nice clothing some other families dressed their little ones in!), and our very helpful, hands-free, belted berry buckets (just some old milk jugs -- half gallon for the kids and a gallon-size for me; I wrote about how to make them here).

{I always caught him eating...}

The only downside to picking all of those berries was that I had to do something with them, and very quickly before they spoiled. The upside, of course, was that we were able to make LOTS of delicious things! The first thing we made was 4 jars of strawberry jelly using this easy recipe for any-berry jelly. Next, we made 4 jars of strawberry jam using this recipe, which is as the name implies, quite simple:

Easy Berry Jam

• 1 cup cold water
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 pints fresh sliced strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, or a combination (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)

1. Pour the water into a large saucepan and add the gelatin packets. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
2. Kids can help by juicing 2 halves of a lemon. (Fortunately, mine knew how to do this from our lemonade stand experience.) They can also sort and rinse berries.
3. Add the strawberries (or other berries), sugar, and lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing berries slightly with potato masher. (This is a step that I allowed Mia to help with, but not Logan because he is kind of young to be that close to the stove, in my opinion.)
4. Spoon into jars (mine had been washed and sterilized in the hot water bath while we were doing the other steps to prepared the jam). Cool slightly before refrigerating. Chill until set, about 3 hours. This will keep for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.

{Well, it's not as pretty as can be, but I am improving...}

I also made a strawberry pie to serve for Father's Day dessert since it is one of Brett's favorites. I used this recipe for Shimmering Strawberry Pie, but cheated and used a store-bought graham cracker crust in place of the oil pastry. (I really do need to learn to do that, but it's been kinda crazy 'round here.) I did step up my game a little bit, though, by making some whipped cream using my new stand mixer. This was actually my first time making homemade whipped cream (although, it is so simple, I am not sure why I never did it before) and I tried this recipe:

Basic Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (This is the smallest package available at the store, in case you're wondering.)
• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment to a stand mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Add ingredients to bowl and whip on high speed for 1 minute, until medium peaks form.
3. That's it. Be sure not to do it for too long, or you will end up with something more the consistency of butter. I stuck the whipped cream in the refrigerator to let it chill before putting it in my pastry bag and using it the garnish the pie. (Is this the best way? Who knows? It's just what I tried.)

Next up, I made some strawberry topping, which I served over waffles for our very tasty dinner. I later made a triple batch, put it into 3 different half-pint canning jars and froze them to use for ice cream topping or topping for more waffles or pancakes. So good! I found the recipe here last year, pinned it, and finally tried it out this summer. Some people had commented on the site that the recipe was not very clear, but it seemed difficult to mess it up, in my opinion.

Supreme Strawberry Topping

• 1 pint berries (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Wash and hull strawberries. Halve large berries or roughly chop them. 
2. Combine strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. (After reading another person's suggestion, I reserved about 1/3 of the berries for later.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Mash a few strawberries with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula to help produce the syrup. (I used a whisk.) Cook until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of the sauce, then mix back into remaining topping. (This was the reserved berries. I cooked it a bit longer, and just skipped the pureeing step, which seemed unnecessary.) Store in refrigerator. (Again, I froze mine, so hopefully, this will thaw and still be delicious when we are ready to eat it.) 

For another quintessential taste-of-summer treat (at least this is one we always had when I was younger, often times in place of dinner, although I always serve it as dessert because I'm not as cool as my mom!), Mia and Logan helped me make strawberry shortcake. This is the healthier version that I have been using for the past couple of years:

Strawberry Shortcake 

• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbs. butter (recipe says "or margarine," but obviously, there is no substitute for real butter)
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk* (see below for how I make this)
• whipped cream (homemade or store-bought)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. 
2. In another bowl, stir together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. (Kids can help measure and pour dry ingredients.) Using a pastry blender, but in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (My kids loved helping with this step.) Combine beaten egg and buttermilk* and add to the flour mixture. Stir until moistened and drop by rounded tablespoon into 8 mounds on an ungreased baking sheet. (I lined mine with parchment paper.) 
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until golden. (I find this takes an additional minute or two, but oven vary.) Transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes. 
4. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream. 

To Make *Buttermilk* These are my reduced measurements from the amounts that are called for here. I just don't need a full cup for this recipe, so I have altered the measurements.

• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk.)
• 3/4 tsp. distilled white vinegar (Can also use lemon juice) 

1. Place 3/4 tsp. vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. 
2. Add enough milk to fill the measuring cup. 
3. Let set for 5 minutes before using.

{Helping make shortcake}

{Finished shortcake}

Okay, here's the grand finale, folks. After the kiddos were in bed, I served up some really tasty, adult-only Father's Day strawberry goodness in the form of frozen daiquiris. Mmmmmmmmm! This is a simple, but insanely brilliant idea for make-ahead drinks. Brett and I each enjoyed a cocktail that evening, and now we have 4 more waiting in the freezer for whenever the mood to chillax strikes. This is one I saw on Pinterest last summer and just now have gotten around to trying. So glad I did! It was a very satisfying ending to a sweet strawberry season.

Frozen Fruit Daiquiris

• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate (I used lemonade.)
• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) rum (I used Bacardi.)
• 4 cups frozen fruit (her recommendation -- I used fresh strawberries, obviously)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• sweetener (optional -- I skipped this)
• fresh fruit for garnish (optional -- yeah, skipped this too, but maybe if we are ever entertaining...)

1. In a blender, combine lemonade or limeade concentrate, rum, and fruit. (I used whole strawberries.)
2. Blend until smooth. Add ice and blend again until smooth, with no remaining chunks of ice.
3. Taste and add sweetener if desired. (Brett and I thought these were perfect.)
4. To freeze and save for later, add daiquiris to clean, half-pint mason jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Then, screw on lids and freeze. They will keep for up to a month. 
5. To serve, remove from the freezer and allow to warm up for 5-15 minutes. Then use a fork to break the frozen daiquiri. Easy, and so tasty! I think we will have to try this with some other fruits, too.

{Brett asked, "You added exclamation points to the labels?" Yes, sir! I was that excited!}

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

Recently I was thumbing through old magazines my mom gave me and tearing out ideas for future use when I came across a simple idea and wondered why I had not done this before: adding food coloring to the sugar cookie dough before baking. I think this came out of a 2 year old issue of Better Homes & Gardens, but I am not sure anymore. Normally, I get out our ingredients, mix up the dough, roll out our dough, cut out the cookies, wash the blades to the hand mixer and other bowls and utensils while cookies are baking, and then start a whole new mess mixing up a batch of frosting, but this avoids all that extra work (not to mention extra sugar, which face it, nobody in this family really needs). Smart right? Since I had just gotten the shamrock cookie cutter, this seemed like a good time to try it out, using green food coloring, of course.

My little kitchen helper and I used this recipe for cut-out cookies, which is a buttery cookie that is easy to cut out.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix.
2. In another bowl, stir the flour mixture, baking powder, and salt together. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend until smooth.
3. I separated the dough into two balls since we were planning to make neon green and regular green cookies.
4. This is the point when we added food coloring. My little helper added much more then we needed, about 10 or maybe even 12 drops when 3 would have been fine. No big deal, though. Then, I used the hand mixer to combine it all again.
5. Then, I wrapped both balls of dough in plastic wrap and chilled them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies and place on cookie sheet. (Tip: I like to cover mine with parchment paper first.) Add sugar sprinkles, if desired. We used green, and lots of them when my little man was in charge.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen cut-out cookies.

We Don't Horse Around Here

I was pretty surprised when Mia came home from school one day with the news that she was doing an animal report. She's in kindergarten, after all. I had no idea that the projects started so soon, but we were told that it was a "family project," which made it sound less overwhelming. First of all, she was really thrilled because she had "won" the subject of horse. Apparently, there were at least two other girls in her class who wanted to do a report on horses, and Mia was chosen by pure luck of having her stick drawn first. To get started, we took a trip to the library to pick out some books and then she was very excited to immediately begin doing research and writing. (I need to make a note of this because I imagine some day this enthusiasm will have waned. Hopefully, I am wrong, but I am trying to be realistic here.) Of course, I helped her, and obviously, I am biased, but I think she did a fantastic job on her written report.

Mia's teacher encouraged the kids to do something extra as well, and after I made a few suggestions, Mia decided she liked the idea of doing a diorama. Again, she wanted to get started right away. Thankfully, I had waited a few days to start making suggestions. I didn't want her to get overwhelmed, so we had spaced out the report writing over a couple of days and then waited until the following weekend to start work on the diorama. We made this out of whatever we had on hand. We started with a white US Postal Service mailing box and she decided to cover the inside and outside with construction paper: red for the outside, just because; green for the grass, which she cut with a fringe; and blue for the sky. I helped her by showing her how to get it to fit, folding it, and cutting to size with my paper trimmer. Then, she did most of the gluing. She made a yellow paper sun and a drawing of a horse and rider going over a jump. She cut that out and glued it in the background. Then, we placed a toy horse in the right foreground. (I hot glued the hooves, but discovered this morning, that it had come loose on the way into school.) She told me she wanted a hay bale and an apple tree to show some things that horses eat so I helped her figure out how to make these. For the apple tree, we used a craft stick trunk. I cut off one end to make it flat, used the scissors to poke a slot in the bottom of the box, and made sure it fit. Then, she drew fluffy leaf shapes on green felt. I helped her cut them out and she glued them in layers onto the trunk. Then, she added red pom poms for the apples. When the tree was done, I added hot glue to help it stay in the slot cut into the box. The hay bale was a bit more work. I made a box by cutting six rectangles (four of one size and two, slightly smaller) out of a side panel from a cereal box. The paper trimmer was helpful. Then, I used masking tape to assemble the box, affixing it to the inside and outside seams. Lastly, Mia cut some pieces of raffia and glued them to the outside of the box. Then, it really looked more like a hay bale. I hot glued this to the bottom of the box, next to the apple tree, and the diorama was complete.

{She is proud of her horse diorama!}

While I was at Meijer yesterday, I happened to come across a horse shaped metal cookie cutter for 99 cents, and decided to buy it. Tomorrow is Mia's turn to be the Child of the Day at school, which means she is the line leader and that sort of thing. Also, she can bring a snack for the class. I felt that horse cookies would be fun. Logan helped me mix up a batch of chocolate cutout cookie dough, which had to chill for two hours before we could cut out the horse shapes. I did most of that since it can be tricky. There were a few casualties during the process, but luckily no horses were sent to the glue factory. I just rolled out the dough and started over, adding more cocoa powder as needed, in place of the suggested flour. Once the cookies were baked, they looked and smelled wonderful, but they didn't seem complete. I had the idea that chocolate frosting would make good manes and tails, so I found this recipe and made a half batch since I didn't have enough cocoa or confectioners sugar for a full batch, and I felt that a half batch would be plenty for what I wanted to do. To decorate the cookies, I just put my frosting in a zippered bag, snipped off one corner, and piped out squiggles. It wasn't fancy or technical, but it worked well. I was worried that Mia would complain that they didn't have eyes, but I didn't think I had anything that would work. Mini chocolate chips would have been huge and red jimmies would have looked kind of evil. Fortunately, she didn't notice or care. In fact, Mia was so happy with the cookies that she announced that she wants a horse/cowgirl themed birthday party for her next party. (This is perhaps the fourth theme she has suggested and we just had her birthday at the end of January, so we shall see how long this lasts...) I am just happy that I tried two new recipes and one kind of off-the-wall idea and it all came together beautifully. I love when that happens.

{I am happy with how the cookies turned out.}

The toughest part for Mia will be that she needs to give an oral presentation of her animal report. We have practiced this at home twice now, and she knows her teacher will help her if needed. I know what it's like to be extremely shy, so I know this is a big hurdle to overcome, but I told her once she does it, it will just get easier.

Birdseed Biscuits

Yesterday, we made an assortment of bird feeders, and today I realized that I did, in fact, have the ingredients to try one more than we learned about from the story time lady at the library. Making "Birdseed Biscuits" turned out to be a good afternoon activity, and not nearly as messy as the bird feeders involving peanut butter. I would definitely make these again, and they get my top recommendation for a good kid-friendly activity that kids can actually participate in.

What You Will Need:

• 2 cups biscuit baking mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup birdseed
• medium size mixing bowl
• spoon
• rolling pin
• cookie sheet
• parchment paper (optional)
• cookie cutters
• plastic drinking straw
• butter (or margarine)
• basting brush
• yarn/string/twine
• scissors

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix 2 cups of biscuit baking mix with 1/2 cup water to form a soft dough. Young kids can help pour and stir. Older kids can measure, too.
3. Add 1/2 cup of birdseed. Form dough into a ball. Kids can help with this.
4. Roll out dough. Kids can help with this. The directions we were given said to roll to 3/4" thickness, but we were successful with about 1/2" to 3/4" thickness. Any thinner, and it was hard for the cut-outs to keep their shape.
5. Have kids cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Take extra dough, reshape into a ball, and roll out until all the dough is used up.
6. Arrange cut-outs on a cookie sheet. This is probably best for an adult to do. (Tip: We lined ours with parchment paper first. This is not necessary, but it keeps your cookie sheet cleaner and makes removing the finished biscuits very easy.
7. Use a plastic drinking straw to punch a hole into each biscuit. Kids can help with this step. (Tip: Make sure it goes all the way through and that it is not too close to the edges.)
8. Melt butter or margarine and brush over the cut-outs. We used 1/2 tablespoon of butter. The directions we were given said to use margarine, but I don't buy that any more. Butter worked fine, and since it didn't specify how much to use, I decided to use a very small amount, which was just enough for the 12 biscuits we made. This step is more for an adult, so I did it myself.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until light brown. This is something for an adult to do. Then, while they are baking, cut a piece of yarn, string, or twine for hanging each biscuit. Older kids can help with this.
10. Allow biscuits to cool. Then, thread your yarn, string, or twine through the hole, tie a knot, and hang them on a tree for the birds to enjoy. (Tip: I found it was easier to use the straw to push the yarn through the hole rather than trying to poke it through on its own.)

Fruits of Our Labor

Why does it seem like the world has started spinning faster this summer? Here I am posting about something that happened nearly 2 weeks ago: our first trip to the strawberry patch, which was way back on June 6. I was hoping to make it back again, but I fear the season has passed us by. At least the kids and I had a good time while we could. Logan probably ate more white strawberries that he should have, but then again, he probably ate more strawberries than he should have, period. And eating them right after you have picked the berries is just about as close to Heaven as we can get, so I don't blame him. So many, many tasty things can be made with strawberries, but we managed just a few with our 5+ pounds. (And I had high hopes and dreams of becoming someone who knows how to can... Guess I will have to wait for the next season.) I am not complaining. Every bite was worth it.

{Logan was excited about the tractor-pulled wagon ride, so he didn't mind the wait.}

{So sweet! These are the Early Glow variety. Definitely getting them again!}

{One for Logan....}

{This one looks good to me.}

{Here they are actually picking berries.}

{It was a beautiful day, but I was glad we went in the morning. The sun was hot.}

{Rain boots + old clothes = good idea. I only wish they had agreed to wear hats.}

{Even though he had his own container, he kept sampling from our haul of berries.}

{Note: I don't know whose stroller that is in the background, but I don't recommend taking one with you if you are berry picking. We did that once at the apple orchard, at it's more trouble than it's worth. Just my two cents.}

{A sign of a good time: berry-stained face!}

{This strawberry jelly is easy to make and really yummy. The first jar is already gone!}

{These strawberry white chocolate muffins were ah-ma-zing! Must make them again and again and again... not overly sweet, just perfect.}

{I kind of wish that I had piped whipped cream around the outside edges. It would look so pretty, but truthfully, it tastes good, so I don't care too much about the presentation.}


Shimmering Strawberry Pie 

6 cups strawberries, halved

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 recipe Oil Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (or if you're like me and want simple, a ready-made graham cracker crust)

1. Prepare Oil Pastry for Single-Crust Pie*. Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with tines of a fork. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of strawberries and the water. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch; stir in berry mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
4. Fold remaining strawberries into cooled syrup mixture; transfer to pastry shell. Cover; chill for 3-4 hours.                                                                                                                        * Oil Pastry for Single-Crust Pie: In a medium bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine 1/4 cup fat-free milk and 3 tablespoons cooking oil. Add milk mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork until dough forms; form into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, slightly flatten dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold extra pastry; crimp edge as desired.

Egg Yolk Painting

This home-made paint was something fun to try on a rainy day. It's quick to make, inexpensive, and not too messy. Plus, it uses items you probably already have in your kitchen, which is always a plus. We made two paint colors, one using 3 drops of neon blue food coloring, and the other using 3 drops of neon green food coloring. The finished product is glossy and the colors are quite pretty. Mia said, "Mom, it shows up really nice," although she thought the egg yolk made the green a bit too yellow. I wouldn't say it is ideal for keepsake painting, though, since the egg is bound to get yucky sooner rather than later. It's definitely more about the process than the product, much like corn syrup painting or raised salt painting. Egg yolk painting is something I would like to try again, however, as a decoration the next time we make sugar cookies. We will just need to use food-safe brushes to paint the cookies before baking them. I found the directions for making this paint here.

Materials:

• eggs (1 per color)
• bowls (1 per color)
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• spoons (1 per color)
• food coloring
• paint brushes
• paper
• sugar cookies (optional)
• newspaper (optional, to protect work surface)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, separate the yolk from the egg white. (I suppose you could use the egg whites for cooking or baking, but I wasn't thinking ahead, and just ended up discarding ours.)
2. Add water and a few drops of food coloring. Mix with a spoon.
3. Repeat for each color desired.
4. Protect work surface with newspaper if desired. (You might also wish to cover kids' clothing or have them wear old clothes.)
5. Paint onto paper (or sugar cookies). Let dry (or bake, as usual).

{"Our House" by Mia, Age 5}

The Leprechauns Came

Last Friday, I couldn't go to bed until I crossed one last thing off of my to-do list: "Make sure the leprechauns come." Mia had been asking repeatedly when the leprechauns were going to come and bring her gold. Well, I didn't have any gold on hand, and I didn't want to run out in search of those gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins. I decided I needed to make something that would be cool enough to take place of gold. At first I wasn't sure what that could be, and then I remembered chatting with another dance mom on Tuesday who told me about making rainbow cupcakes for her daughter's birthday. It was a good time to give them a try. From the description she had given me on how to make the cupcakes, it sounded like it would take a little time, but wouldn't be too difficult. I didn't have a white cake boxed mix in the house, so I found a white cake recipe and tried it out. And I am so glad I did. This white cake recipe makes a moist, spongy cake that reminded me a sugar cookie, and most importantly in this case, it kept the food coloring nice and vibrant.

{Rainbow Colored Cake Mix}

How I Made My Cupcakes:

After making my white cake mix, I divided it into six bowls. Each bowl had about 3/4 cup cake mix in it. Then I added the food coloring. I used my regular McCormick liquid colors and just adjusted the amounts to reflect one sixth of a cake mix.I lined my muffin tin with silicone cupcake liners. 

Then, I poured a teaspoon of purple tinted cake mix into each cup. I spread it around as best I could. I had a small amount left over, which I saved.

Next came blue. Again, I used about a teaspoon for each except this time I didn't spread it around because I didn't want the colors to blend together.

The next layer is green.

After green comes yellow.

Follow that with orange.

Lastly, I topped them with red. By the end, I had realized that heaping teaspoons were the way to go because it was easier.

I had small amounts of each color remaining after filling my 12 muffin cups so I spread these into a casserole dish and made a small-ish sort of tie-dye cake along with my rainbow cupcakes.

I used Betty Crocker whipped frosting, which I had on hand already and then added star sprinkles for more color. If I hadn't had canned frosting available, I would have made this buttercream. (Honestly, I was glad I didn't need to, though, because it was after midnight before the leprechauns finished up.)

{The top view doesn't really show them to their best advantage.}

When it came to displaying the cupcakes, the leprechauns were kind of tired and running out of ideas, but I figured they would like green diapers best so I stacked them on the table next to the rainbow cupcakes.

These cupcakes turned out well. They were tasty and pretty. Mia was very excited to see that the leprechauns had come, and thankfully, she didn't even notice all of the colorful dirty dishes sitting in the sink. (Hey, I mentioned it was really late, right?)

{These cupcakes are worth the extra effort!}

Halloween Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

{I decorated these cookies. The one one the right is the last little ball of dough, and I pinched a small stem with my fingers.}

{Cutting out the shapes}

I have been searching for the best sugar cookie recipe for awhile now. I am not sure if this is it, but it is pretty darn close. The dough is a great consistency for making cut-out cookies and the flavor is good. My only confusion is that they taste more like a butter cookie than a sugar cookie, which reminds me of shortbread. I think I will keep looking for the perfect sugar cookie recipe, but for now, I will share how these turned out. 

{There's no such thing as too much frosting.}

{Don't forget to add lots of sprinkles.}

{You may have to taste-test to ensure that your cookies are edible.}

{Take pride in your work.}

Possibly the best part of this whole experiment was trying out our jack-o'-lantern cookie cutter that I got on clearance at Jo-Ann's last year after Halloween. It's by Wilton and it has several smaller shapes that you can use to make the facial features, which I think is a cute idea instead of plain pumpkin cookies. For frosting, we used this recipe. Again, I am not sure it is the best one available, but it is the best I have tried so far. It is easy to make and easy to spread, and it made enough so that we could divide it up into different containers for making various colors. We left some plain white for the ghosts, and we mixed red and yellow food coloring to make orange for the jack-o'-lanterns. We also attempted (and failed) to make black for some cats (which we didn't even end up cutting out). It was more of a purplish gray, but it all tastes the same, so purple pumpkins were just fine. We also used green sugar sprinkles decorating (I was thinking of stems; the kids had other ideas.) as well as some other Halloween sprinkles. Making and decorating our Halloween cut-out cookies was good family fun, and I think it may become an annual tradition at our house.