By KYLIE YEATMAN
Why is it that online recipes always start out their instructions by providing us with a heaping tablespoon of information that nobody asked for? Look, Linda, I understand that you’re lonely and need somebody to talk to, which comes out in the form of your blog…but some of us just wanna make a damn snickerdoodle without hearing your life story. Speaking of which.
Snickerdoodles
Roughly 1 hour
For the cookies:
1 cup butter, melted a
1 ½ – 2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup bread flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the dusting:
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth in consistency. Blend in your dry ingredients and shape the dough into balls. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and roll the balls in the mixture. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until crispy on the perimeter and chewy in the middle.
Did you know?: There’s a software company called ‘Snickerdoodle Software’ named after the cookie due to the belief of the creator that apps should be “simple, classic and delicious.” Odd flex, but okay.
Peppermint brownies
45 minutes
Ingredients:
¾ cup butter, softened
¼ cup strongly brewed coffee
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup bread flour or cake flour
1 cup cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups crushed candy canes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter, sugars, chilled coffee, eggs and peppermint extract until thoroughly combined. Sift in your dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Cinnamon Rolls
About 3 hours
For the dough:
1 cup warm whole milk
⅓ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ ounce packet of yeast
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
For the filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the baking dish
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
For the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
For the dough: combine the milk, granulated sugar, butter, salt and yeast in a bowl, stirring until well combined. Add the eggs and stir until well mixed. Add the flour and mix on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth, about four minutes. Transfer the dough into a large, well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm, draft-free area until the size doubles (around two hours.) Punch the dough down and lightly flour a work surface. Lay the dough out and pat or roll out into a rectangle.
For the filling: butter a glass baking dish. Spread the softened butter evenly across the dough, leaving a slight border around it. Sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon, along with any desired fillings. Starting with the short end, roll up the dough and press the edges to seal. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
For the icing: Pour powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla and milk, whisking until smooth. Add additional milk as needed. Serve over top.
