New Years Cookies

I know, I know.  Everyone is all sugared out from a never ending stream of holiday goodies and treats over the past month.  Buuuuuuut I got to spend some time with one of my best friends last night and we - for fun - went to a kitchen/baking store.  We spent over an hour and a half browsing each aisle and checking out every item on the shelves!  I found these awesome number cookie cutters.  I have been looking for the perfect set of number cookie cutters, so Merry Christmas to me!

My sister made about 100 Christmas cookies at my house, just a week ago, and found a great recipe from the Blog 'Love Grows Wild'. Our resident "Cookie Snob/Expert" Cody, really liked the flavor, texture and how they stayed soft but didn't break easily. I didn't have any almond extract so I used 1 drop of lemon essential oil instead. I also didn't read the directions about rolling it out before putting it in the fridge.....oops!  So it went into the fridge in a lump, covered in saran wrap.  It worked just fine this way.  Apparently I can't read directions all the way to the end, ha!

Oldest helped me add the ingredients with my  new copper measuring cups that were in my Christmas stocking this year.  (Thanks Sister!)

 (They're so new I haven't even removed the price tag yet!)

 We creamed 1 1/4cups organic sugar with 1cup organic dutch butter. 

Then 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla went in next. 

Next went in 1 egg, 1 drop of lemon essential oil (from Spark Naturals) 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.  Then 3 cups of flour. 

Then into the fridge for about 3 hours (lunch time and go home time meant I didn't have time to get back to it for a while.)

Wrapped in plastic wrap chilling in the fridge.

For some reason I do not have a rolling pin - even though I used to own three?? So a glass jar works well as a stand in "rolling pin".

Supplies - Sur La Table baking mat, my "rolling pin", 

cookie cutters, and a sharp edged spatula. 

Ready to go in the oven!  350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny and the edges have just a HINT of brown. 

 In my oven 9 minutes was just perfect!

Cooling off

There were only three casualties of cookies breaking.  Not bad I thought!

I will frost them tomorrow and package them for delivery to the neighbors. 

I made it to 10:45pm but all I want to do is close my eyes, so I am going to go crawl into my cozy bed and wake up in 2015.  

HAPPY NEW YEARS to you & your family!!  Many wishes for a year full of strong choices, bravery, love and adventure.