Baking Spirits Bright

The sun was barely up when I finally finished loading the car with all the baking supplies, cookie decorating goods, Thanksgiving trimmings and goodies for several days of family baking. With recipes in hand I made the long drive with Christmas music playing and recipes in tow.

When I arrived at the church, sister Kelli had all of our aprons in a row,
ready to be worn and the baking began.

Three years ago my Dad was diagnosed with mantel cell lymphoma, which is a terminal cancer, he is a miracle survivor and is currently in remission taking his first break from any kind of treatment in over three years. His favorite cookie's are snickerdoodles which I have never made so I wrote down RuthAnn's recipe and made a special batch just for him :). I rolled them out ever so gently, and left them about 1/2 inch thick. I used several cookie cutters then dipped the snickerdoodles in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, if it doesn't stick too well, sprinkle some on top. If only you could smell them, won't you have one please?, they're wonderful!

This recipe is borrowed from RuthAnn at Warm Pie, Happy Home, if you haven't dropped by to meet her, please do so, what a wonderful woman she is with a beautiful bloggie home and you will be filled with blessings!

AUNT RUTHIE'S SNICKERDOODLES

Preheat oven at 350

1 cup butter (2 sticks) *Do not melt butter! Chop cold butter into small chunks.

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

Cream together (I use a Kitchen Aid stand up mixer), then add the dry ingredients that you have pre-mixed in a separate bowl:

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure it's fresh)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes in freezer or 1 hour in refrigerator (very important!).

Then roll into 1" balls

and dip into a mixture of:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 or 375 (each oven is different, so test the first batch and adjust temp and time if needed.)

*If you melt the butter, the cookies will spread out too thin, I learned a long time ago--the hard way--that when it comes to cookies never melt the butter!

A Warm Day To You!

Kathi :)