Snickerdoodles

While Snickerdoodles certainly aren't my all-time favourite cookie, they probably have my favourite name (also, not a thing here - I had a fun time explaining them to people - in particular, to those with nut allergies, that no, they did not have Snickers bars or nuts in them). I found this recipe online, having never made it before, and was thus participating in the proud Jones family tradition of experimenting with new foods when feeding other people. Luckily, it pretty much always works out for us. 

Snickerdoodles

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 c. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon 

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Mix butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup of the white sugar until fluffy. Beat eggs and vanilla extract into sugar mix. Add flour until just mixed. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar in bowl. Form the dough into balls (aprox the size of a level tbsp). Roll balls in cinnamon/sugar mix, place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheet, bake until edges are golden in 375F oven, 12-14 min. Cool. 

I wasn't timing it because my oven seems to run very hot, so baking takes about half the time it does on the recipe, but I estimate I was baking them for about 6 min.

I had a lot of other things to do while I was baking these, so while they were in the oven, I was editing the slides for our presentation the next day, as I had volunteered to format and proof the slides (which I spent about three hours doing this day, and three a previous day, so I was kind of regretting volunteering for that particular task).

This recipe makes a TON of cookies, so if you're not making them for other people or to freeze, you may want to half it.

Luckily, I have loads of friends who are always willing to eat my cookies :)

MORE cookies?

Measuring time by the cookies that I make every week, it has been three weeks since I did a proper post! Ah!

The week after I posted about the Mars Bar cookies, I made another batch of the same, both because they are always so popular, but also because I had some leftover chocolate bars...

I won two free Mars Bars, which was pretty sweet, both because hey, free chocolate! And also because I had bought so many of the freaking things in two weeks I would have been really annoyed if I hadn't won at least one :P

Ahhhahaha, I was just rereading this and realized that I said "pretty sweet" about free chocolate, hot damn I'm HILARIOUS.

The next week I made my mum's favourite cookies, incidentally while skyping with her, which might have been mean, but whatever (it would have been meaner if smells could be transmitted across space and time via mobile phone).

These cookies were also a big hit, though I think quite a few people were sad to not be getting Mars Bars cookies AGAIN (those things are rather addictive, though with the amount of sugar in them, no wonder...). But the more healthy option was also appreciated.

This week I was going to make peanut butter cookies, but when I told my friend Maya this, she informed me that she didn't like peanut butter (a fact which I believe lead to me threatening to fight her, adding to a long list of things that we are going to fight about, including my preference for Xbox which is in conflict with her preference for PlayStation). However, I decided to make Monster Cookies instead. I didn't realize until I was standing in the grocery store holding the recipe that they had a cup of peanut butter in them.

Whoops.

However, I decided to just go ahead with them, which was an excellent decision, as they turned out delicious and everyone once again really enjoyed them :)

Cookies!

Tuesdays are a bit of a mid-week lull for me this semester, coming after the busyness of Monday afternoons and before the hectic chaos of Wednesdays. While I spent a large portion of my day reading, I also made some cookies for my group tomorrow, as they have all been working hard, and have done an exceptional amount of work in a short period of time (plus, y'know, I just like making cookies for people). About half of the cookies came out a bit too dark, thanks to the fact that I am still getting used to this oven (the recipe has a new penciled-in note on the back indicating the perfect cook time and shelf height for this oven, so future batches will come out better, hopefully).

The recipe I used came to me from my mum's friend and our former next door neighbour from when we lived in Whitecourt, Tania Doepker. Her and mum used to exchange plates of cookies back and forth the way neighbours sometimes do (y'know, oh she gave me cookies on a plate, I have to return the plate, but I can't return it empty, so I will make her cookies... and thus a never ending cookie spiral is born). Not that Logan and I ever complained. 

I made these cookies quite a few times last year, both for my knitting group and for my coworkers, and no matter what, everyone loves them. However, if you are looking for a "healthy" cookies, these are NOT the way to go.

We lack mixing bowls in my flat. 

Mars Bar Cookies

1 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3-4 Mars bars

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix flour, coca, and baking soda. Combine both mixes. Chill until firm. Place 1 tbsp. dough on palm and form a cup. Place bar inside and surround with cookie dough (I cut regular sized mars bars into about 6-8 pieces).

Bake at 350 for 12 min (or, if you are in the UK, about 177 degrees).

I had to run down to the grocery store for the Mars bars and cocoa powder... I definitely went through the self checkout. Last time I made these cookies, I told the cashier I was making cookies when she gave me a judgemental look, and she didn't believe me... but the machines don't judge, so self-checkout it was :P

The best ones are packed up for me to take to my group tomorrow, while the... crunchier... ones will be shared with my roommates :)

They're so *photogenic*

In other news, French is crazy...

(To my great relief, Alix assures me that "c'est quoi?", which is what I learned to say for "what is it?" is more common and is totally acceptable).

... and I am cute.

Hope y'all are having nice Wednesdays :) Enjoy the middle of your week!