PERFECT Sugar Cookies

Let's talk about SUGAR COOKIES.  Okay so growing up my mom made sugar cookie cut-outs for just about every holiday- ALWAYS Halloween though, and USUALLY every Easter as well.  It is a fun tradition that I want to continue in my family.  I remember gathering around the table with my brothers and sister and decorating the baked and cooled cookie shapes with colored frosting and holiday-themed sprinkles.  The cookies my mom made were very good, in fact I'd make them again and again with no second thought if it weren't for this other cookie recipe.  This "other" cookie recipe is the recipe of my sister-in-law, Annie.  She has made them a couple times and brought them to family gatherings.  They are ah-mazzzzing.  Super thick, not dry at all (perfect moistness), and so so soft with a thick, creamy frosting that sets up beautifully. They remind me of the store-bought sugar cookies with thick frosting and sprinkles that everyone is obsessed about. Except better. I wanted to try making them myself to see if they would taste as good as hers... and they definitely did!  Wow... this is my go-to sugar cookie recipe now forever! So yeah you should try them out!


Perfect, Thick Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
Yield: about 2 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter (I used salted though and it was fine)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one.  Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.  Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add 1 cup at a time to batter.  Chill dough for 1 hour.  Roll out thick on floured surface (1/4 inch).  Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Wait until completely cool to frost.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
Mix all ingredients together using an electric mixer.

Fruit Pizza

 

FRUIT PIZZA.  AKA ONE OF MY FAVORITE DESSERTS EVER!!

To be honest, I'm more of a decadent chocolate, peanut butter, or cinnamon-y dessert type of girl.  Don't get me wrong... I love fruit.  But I'd just prefer chocolate.  What girl wouldn't?

However, there are some fruity desserts that come along that are just unbelievable... my Best Lemon Bars, my mom's apple crisp, or my Blackberry-Peach Crisp, or this amazing fruit pizza!!  I have made this recipe a few times and every time, no fail, I cannot stop eating it! It is so addicting. And amazingly delicious.  My hubby and I made this with two of our married friends.  It's really fun to cut up the fruit and decorate it all cute! And you can use whatever fruit you like. These fruits (kiwis, strawberries and mandarin oranges are my favorites) but you could do blueberries, raspberries, peaches etc.  Basically... we finished the whole thing that night.  I ate a whole stinkin' one-fourth of this baby.  I mean... whoops....  So, just so you know, it's addicting.  You might eat the whole thing.

Just warning ya!

Fruit Pizza

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 package (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

fruit of your choice- sliced strawberries. mandarin orange segments, cut-up kiwis, peach slices, blueberries, raspberries- whatever you like!

1/2 cup apple jelly (optional- I left it out)

Heat oven to 350.  Grease 12-inch pizza pan (you could also use a 9x13 pan) with cooking spray.  In pan, break up cookie dough and press evenly in bottom of pan to create the crust.

Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely, about 30 minutes. (It's so hard to wait!)  In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese.  Stir jelly until smooth; spoon or brush over fruit. (Optional) Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.* Cut into wedges or squares. Store in refrigerator.

 *We didn't wait an hour to eat it... we were too anxious! But it is good chilled, too.  And you should definitely store in the fridge.  That is, if you have any leftovers!

Crunchy Caramel Reese's Cookie Bars

SO basically... I just got back from a 5-day trip to Oklahoma. And you all know that traveling is the worst when trying to eat healthily!!

Crap.

But, I will hand it to the Oklahomans that they offer some pretty DARN good food.  There was nothing to do in that city except for walk around, and eat. basically.  So, consequently, the next month or so I will be working really hard to compensate for the extra, but glorious calories I consumed on my trip.

HOWEVER,

I must share this amazing recipe that I came upon last week.

This was before I went to OK, and i was feeling a sugar craving, and lo and behold, I came upon the most amazing chocolatey-peanut-buttery treat, EVER. I must share.

These things are DIVINE.  They can be found at this blog: Let's Dish  
Please make these, they will make you extremely happy! 

Crunchy Caramel Reese's Cookie Bars  

Ingredients
1 (16.5 oz.) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 (12 oz.) bag mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
10 caramels, unwrapped
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut cookie dough roll in half and press half of dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer with crushed pretzels. Cut peanut butter cups in half and layer over pretzels. In a small bowl, melt caramels and milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.  Pour caramel over peanut butter cups. Crumble remaining cookie dough evenly over top. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  Let cool completely.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave until smooth and drizzle over top of bars. 

ENJOY!

Life's Too Sweet to Skip Dessert.