Basic Cookies...............

Morning.....thought I'd take some time out from refereeing my children's squabbles  the holiday fun and share a little recipe love........

                                                                                   

I discovered the recipe in an old Donna Hay kids magazine and it is fab!! We use it heaps as it is quick, easy and relatively mess free......(I did say relatively remember..).......

                                                                                   

We pull this one out to make stars and trees at christmas time.....hearts, flowers and numbers at birthday times.....and pretty much whatever shapes we feel like at every other time.....very handy!!............

                                                                               

                                                                                  

(Must say this pic totally creeps me out.....looks a little too much like a certain creepy crawly that I have a huuuuge phobia of?!?)................

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

 Ok....so on with this recipe....as I said it's pretty much a copy of a Donna Hay recipe but I do feel it's my biscuit-loving duty to share it around......in the mag it is called a Basic Cookie Dough so we'll go with that..............

                                                                                 

 
                                                                               
                                                          Basic Cookie Dough 


Ingredients........

250gm (8 3/4 oz) butter, softened

3/4 cup caster sugar (I have used 'normal' white sugar and even raw sugar. They work fine but the cookie does have a grainier texture)

2 teaspns vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

2 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

icing sugar, to serve

Method.......

1. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until well combined.

2. Add the sifted flour and beat until a smooth dough forms.
(ok..here I actually stir the flour in by hand with a spatula because (sob sob) I only have a hand-held electric beater who's motor would probably blow up at this stage but if you are one of the lucky ones who do indeed own a free-standing mixer (kitchen aid?? Sigh............) then go for it...just don't brag about it please.....)

3. Divide the dough into four portions, wrap each portion in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for approx 15 minutes.

4. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees

5. Roll out each portion of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm (1/8") thick. Remove paper and use cookie cutter to cut shapes. Place cookies on lined baking trays and bake for about 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

6. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

                                                                                 

What's also great about these is that if you don't want to bake all the cookies at once you can freeze, say, 2 of the portions of dough then one day when you suddenly realize you have nothing to feed your staaaarrrrving children for afternoon tea you can whip out the cookie dough from your freezer, let it defrost, roll, cut and bake and shut your children up feed your lovelies...........

                                                                                 

 

It is also something fun to make with your kids (school hols??) and you can really adapt and add anything that takes your fancy......choc-chips, smarties, jam......go for it.............

                                                                                 

I'm off to warm up by the fire....it's turned chilly around these parts today.............

Have a great Thursday.....

Happy Baking!!!................


                                    Janelle  xx