Snickerdoodles

Now, this is a long name for cookies, isn't it?
When my kids were trying to tell me what cookies they ate in school and how yummy they were I couldn't understand it and thought this is not a cookie name! I sat down and searched in the net for names my kids were telling me: sickeroodles, snikernoodle and so many other combinations they could think about to come up with the right name....Well, thanks to Google we figured it out:  Snikerdoodles!
After trying  many recipes I combined the ingredients of 3 recipes I wrote down on a paper and managed to make The Cookies they had tried and liked.
So, here is my version of the Snickerdoodels ( In case you have no idea what they are , they are like sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon and baked to perfection)

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 small eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
2 3/4 flour

Cinnamon sugar:
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
Butter a baking sheet or foil to bake the cookies on it.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla extract.
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.
Add the eggs to the flour mix and make soft dough.
Make even size balls using a spoon and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them 2 inch apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 8 -10 mins and remove immediately from the baking sheet. Let them cool down before storing in an air tight container.
Enjoy!

TIPS:
If you are using bigger size eggs your cookies may flatten after baking.

Spooky Witches Fingers

This sugar cookies are perfect for the coming Halloween!!
The recipe is easy to prepare and kids would love to help shape the fingers or put on the almond nails :)
Use green or purple color to make the fingers even more witch like :)

Spooky Witches Fingers
Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds

Food color optional
Few drops green, purple or any other color you want to use.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an
electric mixer. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating.
Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance.
Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

Optional:
Remove the almond from the end of each cookie. Squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into its place. Place the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.
TIP: This cookies are not very sweet. For sweeter version, you can use additional 2 -3 tablespoons sugar.
When you are forming the fingers, make them longer and thinner for a better shaped fingers.

Enjoy!!

Medenki - Honey cookies

Here is a very easy recipe for cookies made with honey. I have it with me from the time I was little kid and I used to make this cookies with my mom. They are very tasty and everybody loves them. I gave the recipe to many people and every time somebody makes them they turn out just great!!!

Honey Cookies

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 table spoon cinnamon
4 cups all purpose flour

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Spread some oil on foil or anything you are planning to bake the cookies on.
Beat well oil and sugar. Add one egg at a time and blend with sugar and oil mixture. Pour in the honey, add the cinnamon and beat for a few mins. Mix the flour with the baking soda and start adding it to the egg mixture half cup at a time.  The dough may seem sticky, but with it's ok. You can rub your hands with flour as needed and make balls size of walnut and place them inch apart on foil or baking dish.
Bake for about 12-15 mins. Second batch cookies will be ready in less time, so be careful.
Cool down before storing in air tide container.
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Tips:
You can use 3 cups whole whet flour and 1 all purpose if you want to make them healthier.
You can use brown sugar as well.
Before baking you can place piece of walnut on top of the cookie and just press little down to make sure it doesn't fell off.
Or, you can dip half cookies, after baking and cooling down, in a melted chocolate and then dip same side in crushed nuts your choice.
Enjoy!