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Snickerdoodle Cookies

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I decided that my Snickerdoodle cookie recipe needed some updated pictures today.  My brain has been playing tricks with me lately and movement is not my friend.  I was trying to think of things to do that didn’t involve reading, scrolling, watching tv, videos, excessive movement, or too much thinking. (#strokebrain)  Photography seems pretty harmless and I can type with my eyes closed, for the most part.  Plus, I just found out that my son’s girlfriend and family haven’t tried Snickerdoodle cookies.  Crazy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies
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These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Ingredients
Cookie
Cinnamon Sugar
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Using a cookie scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I bake these cookies on a Silpat lined baking sheet, at 400 degrees, for 7 minutes.
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Happy baking, friends!

Applesauce Muffins

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Homemade Applesauce Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time I make these muffins (which is quite frequently) I have to look up the recipe, so I decided that it was time to put it on my blog.  Blogging kind of took a back seat when I had a stroke, so maybe this will jumpstart my writing and photography again.

I first made applesauce muffins when I was in junior high.  We made them in my Home Economics class and I loved them so much that I saved the recipe.  I think I kept that recipe for about 15 years and made them many times before losing it.  Over the years, I found a couple other recipes that did the trick.  Then, Pinterest came along and Rebecca, from Simple As That posted her recipe.  The recipe I use is basically the same as Rebecca’s, but I did make a few minor tweaks.

Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Muffins
Topping
Servings: muffins
Instructions
  1. Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Stir in applesauce. Gently stir in dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. For the topping, wait until the muffins are cool enough to handle. Roll the top of the muffin in melted butter, and then immediately roll the muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
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The biggest tweaks I made to Rebecca’s recipe are in the applesauce and the cinnamon sugar.  My mom makes our applesauce every Fall.  She adds cinnamon and sugar into the applesauce as she’s cooking it, so our applesauce has more sugar and more cinnamon than All Natural Mott’s Applesauce.  My family also likes a little more cinnamon in the topping, so I increased that.  There is also a pinch more salt than Rebecca’s recipe.  I guess it’s just personal preference.

My daughter has requested that I always make 24 muffins, instead of just 12.  Twelve muffins only last about a day in our house.

Applesauce Muffins

We are lucky enough to have a friend share their farm fresh eggs with us.  This recipe calls for 4 eggs, so I’m happy to have plenty!

Farm Fresh Eggs

 

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The fact that I get to bake these in my grandma’s muffin tin makes my heart happy.  I remember baking cupcakes and muffins with her and thinking that this pan was so “old” and she should really get a new one.  Now, I’m so happy to have this antique pan. I’m glad she never replaced it.

Antique Muffin Pan

Applesauce Muffins

Happy baking!

Valentine Sugar Cookies

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We’ve been snowed in for days and days and days! I was thinking that some of my local friends might be in need of a new recipe to try. I’ve posted this recipe many times, but I thought it might need to move to the top of the blog for Valentine’s Day.  It’s my go-to recipe for any holiday or season.

valentine cookies

 

Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Ingredients
Servings: cookies
Instructions
  1. Beat butter, shortening, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Let dough chill in the fridge for 3 hours. Roll dough on a cutting board, lightly dusted with flour. I like a thick cookie, so I roll my dough slightly thicker than 1/4" thick. Cut in any shape desired. Bake for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool and frost. For the frosting, my favorite is a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting. I pour powdered sugar into the bowl and add just a little bit of milk. Keep stirring and slowly add milk until you get to the desired consistency. If you want a thick frosting, add less milk. If you want a glaze, add more milk. I try to use as little food coloring as possible because DYE IS EVIL. A tiny little half-drop of red food coloring will make a nice pink. I also found an all natural food coloring on Amazon, by McCormick. You can also use a little raspberry juice to make a nice pink and then you don't need to use dye at all, which is good because DYE IS EVIL! (Ask me how I feel about food dyes in our foods!) Happy baking and Happy Valentine's Day!
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Graduation Sugar Cookies

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I was just scrolling through Instagram and spotted some graduation sugar cookies from Jenny Cookies.  It reminded my that I don’t think I ever did a blog post about the graduation sugar cookies my niece and I made last year.  She wanted to make cookies for her brother’s graduation party and came over so we could bake together.

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We live in the same area as my sister and sister-in-law, so the kids all go to the same schools.  Once in high school, they are the Glacier Peak Grizzlies. We have a niece who graduated in 2016, a nephew in 2017, another niece in 2018, my son in 2019, and another niece in 2020 all from Glacier Peak.  Then, we get a little break until my daughter moves up to high school.

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I might be borrowing my sister-in-law’s graduation cap cookie cutter quite a bit.

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I think they turned out pretty cute!  Jenny, over at Jenny Cookies, uses buttercream for her frosting.  I’ve always used powdered sugar and milk and just mixed those two ingredients together to get the consistency I wanted.  I think I may shift over to buttercream.  I didn’t realize there were so many different buttercream frosting recipes.  Whenever I’ve used buttercream, I’ve just used the Wilton recipe.  Whichever frosting recipe you choose, I’m sure Google will help you discover lots of options.

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Graduation Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft rolled sugar cookies that can be cut with any cookie cutters you have on hand. The graduation cap cookie cutter came from Amazon and I had the other shapes in my collection.
Graduation Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft rolled sugar cookies that can be cut with any cookie cutters you have on hand. The graduation cap cookie cutter came from Amazon and I had the other shapes in my collection.
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture a little at a time. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.
  2. Roll the dough onto a floured board, to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Larger cookies may take more time to bake. Cool and decorate with your choice of frosting.
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Valentine Sugar Cookie Recipe

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so we couldn’t resist baking a few sugar cookies to pack in lunches this week.  This is my go-to recipe for sugar cookies of any shape.

Valentine Sugar Cookies

Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Servings:
Recipe Notes

Beat butter, shortening, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix.  Let dough chill in the fridge for 3 hours.

Roll dough on a cutting board, lightly dusted with flour.  I like a thick cookie, so I roll my dough slightly thicker than 1/4" thick.  Cut in any shape desired.

Bake for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cool and frost.  For the frosting, my favorite is a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting.  I pour powdered sugar into the bowl and add just a little bit of milk.  Keep stirring and slowly add milk until you get to the desired consistency.  If you want a thick frosting, add less milk.  If you want a glaze, add more milk.  I try to use as little food coloring as possible because DYE IS EVIL.  A tiny little half-drop of red food coloring will make a nice pink.  You can also use a little raspberry juice to make a nice pink and then you don't need to use dye at all, which is good because DYE IS EVIL! (Ask me how I feel about food dyes in our foods!)

Happy baking and Happy Valentine's Day!

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