The Bestest Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin cookie (these looked the best)

Thick & Yummy

Aerial View (I didn't have black food coloring so it's kinda hard to tell what the witch is)

These are the sugar cookies that I grew up with and they aren't just the memories that make them good. They are favorite. They are so soft and scrumptious! Garrett even likes them and he doesn't like sugar cookies! I decided to make these sugar cookies for the kids in our sunday school class as a Halloween treat. If you make this recipe you have to promise not to use store bought frosting on these bad boys because in my opinion it ruins them ;-)

P.S. I'm not the best froster ...

*SECRET TIP: I make my sugar cookie dough 2 days before I want them and I bake and frost the cookies the night before I need them.  You have to store them in an air tight container though or they will dry out.  For some reason these cookies are softer the next day!

Sugar Cookies (Recipe from: Momma Weight)
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sour cream
5-6 cups flour (I usually use 5 because you add more flour when you roll them out)

1. Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs.
2. Add vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, and sour cream until well mixed.
3. Add the flour gradually. (If it seems sticky don't worry because you will add more flour when you roll it out)
4. Refrigerate OVERNIGHT.
5. Preheat oven to 375.
6. Sprinkle countertop with flour so dough won't stick.
7. Grab a hunk of dough and place it on the floured countertop (you will want to do this in batches because it makes a lot of cookies)
8. Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and around the edges so it won't stick to the rolling pin.
9. The more you work with the dough and the more flour you add the tougher the cookies will be.
10. Spread dough out to about 1/4 inch thick (because thick sugar cookies are the yummiest!)
11. Cut your shapes out of the dough and place on cookie sheet.
12. Bake for 9 minutes, let cool on a wire rack. (If cookies brown around the edges you may want to reduce the cooking time so they don't get overcooked and hard)
13. Wait to frost the cookies until they are completely cool or else the frosting will melt.
14. Frost with frosting and store in airtight container. (I don't like to leave the cookies out too long or else they will dry out)

Frosting
1/3 cup softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (this is the secret ingredient)

1. Whip ingredients together until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.

Baked Potato Soup

I got some great recipes from the teachers that I worked with when I did my student teaching. This one is from Nicole Wright when I student taught at South Jordan Middle School. Nicole had lots of yummy recipes which I will probably post more of them eventually. I miss you Nicole! By the way, I love how all of my recipes so far are extremely unhealthy ... oh well.

Baked Potato Soup
2 potatoes, already baked
1/3 c. butter (or bacon grease if you want to cook your own bacon; you may need to add some butter until you get 1/3 c. if there is not enough left over grease)
1/3 c. flour
3 c. milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 green onion, sliced
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
½ c. sour cream
3 Tbsp bacon crumbles (or 3 slices real bacon that you cook then chop)
1 c. chicken stock (You could add more bouillon to the soup if it needs more flavor)

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
2. Add flour and stir until smooth making sure there are no flour lumps left. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and gradually add the milk while stirring. Return to heat and cook over medium-heat for 4-5 minutes. Mixture should thicken and be bubbly.
4. Meanwhile, cut potato in half, lengthwise. Remove peel from potato if desired. Cube insides of potato.
5. Add potato cubes to the soup.
6. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, half of the green onion and half of the cheese.
7. Cook until it is heated through, about 1 minute. Turn off the stove and stir in sour cream. When mixed in, remove from heat.
8. Serve with remaining onions, cheese, and bacon crumbles on top as garnish.

Red Velvet Sandwiches (Valentine's)

I just realized that 2 of the 3 recipes I have ever did a post about were red velvet ones ....

Red Velvet Sandwiches
1 Box red velvet cake mix (You could use any flavor)
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 Eggs

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Mix ingredients until combined.
* Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart.
* Bake for 10-12 minutes.
* Cool.

Filling:
1 cup Marshmallow Creme
1 cup Cool Whip
*Mix well

Red Velvet Cupckaes

EAT US IF YOU DARE

Red Velvet Cake (Recipe from Lexi DeBaltzo)

2 sticks softened butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 oz. red food coloring

3 T. cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups flour (regular flour because cake flour will make them flat)

1 t. salt (1/2 tsp. salt if you use salted butter)

1 t. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 T. vinegar

Preheat oven to 350

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring. Add to butter mixture.

Combine flour, soda and salt in separate bowl.

Combine buttermilk with vinegar in separate bowl.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. *The batter will be thick* Pour into prepared cake pan (greased) or cupcake pan (with liners). Bake until done.

Frosting

(I know its traditional to do cream cheese frosting with red velvet but I am a cream cheese hater so I vetoed that)

1/3 cup softened butter

3 cups powdered sugar

3 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend until smooth.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

These pictures honestly don't do justice to the amazingness of this dish.

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Dressed Up Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing baking dish

• 8 oz. macaroni

• 2 1/2 cups cold milk

• 4 oz. mozzarella, coarsely grated

• 4 oz. aged parmesan, coarsely grated

• 2 large eggs

• 4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

• 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces

• 4 strips bacon (sometimes I do 6 if I'm feeling extra naughty)

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp. Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)

2. Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. In a separate medium sized bowl, beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; mix and set aside.

3. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Do NOT discard the bacon grease. Add the onion and garlic to the grease; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.

4. Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.