sugar cookie monday

Hello everyone!!!

At any given time, you will find a hidden stash of sugar cookie dough in my freezer. For me, and my family, it has become a staple. Sugar cookie dough is simple, comforting, and ohhh so versatile. Have I mentioned how well it freezes??

Baking Christmas cookies at my house is a tradition, as it is in many homes across America. Only I live in Puerto Rico, and we are the only family I know that savors and looks forward to this day. That is how my mom discovered sugar cookies years ago. They are not very common around here (at least not 15 years ago), but my mom found an article on a magazine were you could bake 10 different cookies with just one dough. And when your house smells this good, you have to share the goodies with your neighbors, making such a versatile dough a real gem in the cookie repertoire.

Thats is when it all began for me. Sugar cookies, rolled cookies, cookie sandwiches... you name it. And if you combine a little sugar cookie with some creativity, I bet you can have a different cookie every Monday.  What better way to start off the week!!

I love mini muffin pans, they make great mini everything!!! These little cookies get a kick from coffee jam, a sweet little concoction that I found at a local farmer's market. Its thick, sweet and potent, so just a scant 1/2 tsp per cookie is more than enough. I scoop my dough into the muffin tin and bake them at 325f, as soon as they come out of the oven I gently poke the middle of each cookie with the back of a wooden spoon to make a small indentation. After the cookie has cooled, I fill the center with a bit of the jam and voila... a perfect bite to accompany your mid afternoon coffee, or just at any time you need to sweeten things up.

I hope this will make your week, a little bit sweeter.

                                                                              ciao ciao, natalia

Sugar Cookies recipe (adapted from marthastewart.com)

4 c         all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp  salt

1 tsp      baking powder

1 c         unsalted butter

1 3/4c   sugar

2            large eggs

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder, and then add to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined without over beating.

Shape the dough into a 1" thick rectangle and double wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough until needed. Once you are ready to use the dough, you may add the flavoring that best suits your cookie. Be it vanilla or almond extract, coconut flakes or lemon zest, adding it just before baking allows you to make more than one cookie type from the dough. Adding less sugar than the original recipe call for, means I can add other ingredients, like the coffee jam, without have the cookie be too sweet. Happy experimenting!

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Sugar Cookies Recipe - MarthaStewart.com