Cookie Exchange: Aunt Debbie's Almond Sugar Cookies

Almond Sugar Cookie Dough

1 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. almond flavoring

2 TBSP milk

My son Dawson and I getting the ingredients ready.

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg, milk, vanilla, and almond flavoring. Gradually add dry ingredients. (Add an extra splash of milk if dough seems too crumbly after all dry ingredients are added.)

Pouring the dry ingredients into the big bowl.

Chill overnight. Roll out dough between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookie shapes with your favorite cookie cutters.


Bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes for thinner cookies, 10 minutes for thicker cookies.

Almond Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. Milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond flavoring

2 1/2 TBSP. softened butter

Mix all ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Pipe with frosting tips onto cookies with plain icing and sugar with colored sprinkles.

NOTES:
Yields 4 dozen 2 inch cookies.

Small cookie cutters are great for this recipe. Little bite sized tastes of the almond flavored goodness seem to be just right. :)

December Daily Album

I have a goal this December to record some every day and special holiday moments for our little family. Ali Edwards is the woman behind the idea and what inspires me so much to do this is her focus on simplicity of pictures and words. This inspiration is what is keeping me from stopping this project before I even begin. I would describe myself as a frustrated perfectionist. I want to do things the exact way that I have envisioned them, but the frustration that comes with not doing things perfectly the first time they are done many times leads to a lack of follow through on my part. Another downfall is my inability to focus on one thing and get it done and out of the way. So.... we'll see what happens this month.
I've got lots of pages ready to go. Now, I need to focus on the stories I want to tell.
Here are the ideas that are floating around in my head:
1. Decorating the tree
2. Reading Christmas books with Dawson
3. Christmas jammies and slippers to wear all month, instead of just on Christmas Eve
4. Baking cookies
5. Decorating cookies
6. HUnting for the Elf on the Shelf
7. Looking out the window at the garbage truck or neighbor's lights
8. Dawson playing with his trucks
9. Sitting by the fireplace with Donnie
10. Going to see Santa
11. Comminuty Theatre production of Miracle on 34th Street
12. Decorations around the house
13. Making Dawson a Christmas apron
14. Going to Fritz's to see "choo choo" trains
15. Making a gingerbread house with cousins
16. Unwrapping gifts
17. Playing with gifts
18. Watching Christmas specials and movies (Favorite list)
19. Donnie reading the Christmas story
20. Giving gifts to others
21. Favorite Christmas songs
22. Extended Family Christmases

Other ideas:
drinking a caramel apple cider at Starbucks
going out on a date with Donnie to Aixois
Christmas Pastoral Staff dinner
Andy's Safari Christmas Party
Staff Christmas sweaters
Getting packages in the mail
giving to the clubs
adopting a family
going to church
Dawson playing at the sitter's house
being with grandparents