Today is "National Pastry Day". No, I'm not kidding. Would I kid about something this important. No, I would not! So here to celebrate a day of days is an ama-za-zing cookie recipe (thank you Laura Stearns!) you can test out on your neighbors. I'd advise extra blue food coloring on the cookies for those peskies you're not crazy about. You know, the one with the yappy dog...(I kid, I kid! I love yappy dogs...*ahem*).
Moving on! Behold...
"Pluffiest Cookies...Ev-AR!" (Yes, that's their official title; puffy + fluffy = pluffy; aka. "pluffies")
{ Ingredients }
2/3 bup shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
12-16 oz cake frosting
{ Directions }
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut (or ginormous!) sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (I like 'em squishy = 10 mins) in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks (or wooden cutting board; or counter top; or dining table; or bathtub...okay, just checking). :)
{ Baker's Note }
I like to use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of a full teaspoon, and I like to make a little fluffy frosting to whip on top of the cookies once they've cooled. I just take a yummy premade container of frosting (like what most of us busy moms use - non of that homemade stuff for me - ha! Don't judge!) in maybe a buttercream or lemon, add a tiny drop of food coloring to the mix, and fluff with a spoon until the color has spread evenly. Once cookies have cooled at least 10 minutes, add a dollup to each cookie and gently spread with the back of a spoon or spatula. One regular sized container of frosting should easily take care of the entire batch of cookie dough.
Once all said and done (and "taste tested" two or three times...hey, it's a chef's thing, dear) your pluffy cookies should look something like these photos above. No, these are not my versions - they belong to wifeyluvs2cook and indiegirl on allrecipes.com. I have not yet had the opportunity to take pictures of my confections. Why?
{ Baker's Note }
I like to use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of a full teaspoon, and I like to make a little fluffy frosting to whip on top of the cookies once they've cooled. I just take a yummy premade container of frosting (like what most of us busy moms use - non of that homemade stuff for me - ha! Don't judge!) in maybe a buttercream or lemon, add a tiny drop of food coloring to the mix, and fluff with a spoon until the color has spread evenly. Once cookies have cooled at least 10 minutes, add a dollup to each cookie and gently spread with the back of a spoon or spatula. One regular sized container of frosting should easily take care of the entire batch of cookie dough.
Once all said and done (and "taste tested" two or three times...hey, it's a chef's thing, dear) your pluffy cookies should look something like these photos above. No, these are not my versions - they belong to wifeyluvs2cook and indiegirl on allrecipes.com. I have not yet had the opportunity to take pictures of my confections. Why?
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(Me) "Hi there brother-in-law and friends."
(Bro-in-law) "Hi there brother's wife."
(Me) "What's up?"
(Bro-in-law) "We're here to play some XBox games. Oooh, are those cookies...?"
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Yeah, that's about how that goes. And when my hubby complains that he's only had two or three cookies and his brother has had six or seven...
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(Brother-in-law) "Dude, you have a wife that makes these all the time!"
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Yes, that's me. I make stuff. I make cookies. Pluffy cookies. "Pluffies", if you will...
So yeah. Now I totally want/need/have to have some of these amazing sugar cookies. *sigh* I should've baked some before I wrote this post! Ugh. Okay, I know what I have to go do now. See you guys in the kitchen!
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P.S. Although National Cookie Day was on the 4th of December, these cookies are good ANY day of the year. You've been warned!
P.P.S. I know, I know...I didn't post with an actual photo of my cookies. I will, I promise! I just couldn't resist sharing my love of Pastry Day without sharing a fun recipe with y'all. No way I'm gaining the holiday five (pounds, that is) alone!