Sugar Rush

Dear Reader,

Last week I decided to become a baker. And by become a baker I mean I made muffins and cookies.

But still, it was a long process.

First it was the muffins. We had a Halloween potluck at work, and I decided (mainly based on my lack of butter) that pumpkin muffins were a good idea.

By the way: the recipe was super good. Here it is if you're interested:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Next I decided to make sugar cookies to bring in to work and for Kelsy's Halloween party. This was a very VERY long process. Making the cookies was one night's project:

The frosting of the cookies was another night's.

I think the finished product turned out okay for my first try with this recipe.

Let's just say it was a sugary week.

In case you're interested in this recipe, also, here it is (from friend Jana):

deb child’s sugar cookies

2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

4 egg yolks

2 t. vanilla

4 1/2 c. flour

first, cream butter and sugar. then, add egg yolks and vanilla. add flour to mixture gradually. the dough will roll out best if it has been chilled for a few hours. roll out cookie dough to 1/2 inch thick, and cut into desired shapes. place cookies on a buttered cookie sheet or a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK. remove the cookies from the oven as soon as they are the slightest bit golden on the bottom or edges.

icing

2 lb. bag of powdered sugar

3 T. powdered meringue

1 t. clear vanilla

1 t. butter flavoring

1/2 t. almond flavoring (optional)

mix ingredients. [seriously, that’s about it]. Add water to the mixture incredibly slowly, until the icing is at the proper consistency for piping through a bag – but it should still be pretty thick. then, feel free to add some color. color frosting as desired. divide the frosting. use one portion to pipe outlines on the cookie with a piping bag. thin the remaining icing with a small amount of water and “flood” the inside of the outline with the thinned icing using a spoon. let cookies sit overnight for the icing to set.