Look what Jade and I did yesterday!! We’ve been working on it sporatically for a few months now, I mean, I think since December even: and it’s about time we finished! All of the artwork is hers and she’s just a really amazing artist, I love her style, with her cartoonish, yet very adult feel. Most importantly though, seeing her absolutely adorable toast reminded me that food can be CUTE as well as delicious, so now watch me go all Martha Stewart on your ass!
First we need to set the mood:
Now for a cheesy introduction. If you are anything like me, you love to eat and could never survive on a diet of any sort, because most of the time you spend stuffing your face. This includes carbs. Lots of carbs. In fact, cookies, pastas, bread: pretty much what it boils down to is anyone on the South Beach diet, or any carb-cut diet, will pretty much taboo anything you put your hands on. Or they’ll stab at you with a four foot pole. But it’s so good, you say. Yes, yes it is.
Another soft spot in our bellies is sugar. Our sweet tooth is very particular, though I used to be able to hound on pounds of chocolate at a time, since I cut soda completely from my diet I really just don’t have a drive and or desire for sugar anymore. Unless, of course, it’s smothered in other delicious tastes. I just ordered ten boxes of Samoa girlscout cookies two weeks ago, if that gives you any idea of what I’m talking about. It has to be GOOD, balanced, mixed, sweets. It can’t just be an overload of sugar or I gag.
MOVING ON!
Jade inspired me to make my food cute. And so I tried. And now I share that information with you all. Enjoy.
- RECIPE
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus a little more for work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large cage-free egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Food coloring
- Sanding sugar for sprinkling
1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and then set it aside. Next mix the butter and granulated sugar into a seperate bowl and mix that (on medium if you have an electric mixer) until the it’s pale and fluffy. Then go ahead and add an egg and vanilla. By this time I’m sure you’re arm’s getting tired, but if you have an electric mixer, reduce the speed to low. Now add your original flour mixture; and mix them together until no visible difference remains. Divide the dough into thirds, and knead one color of food coloring into the first piece and then your second food coloring into another. Shape all three pieces into disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (About an hour)
2. Preheat your oven to 325! Remove one disk from refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature until slightly soft, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment to a 1/8-inch thickness, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out circles with a 1 3/4 inch round cutter, then lightly press with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter. Make your button holes with a skewer. Reroll scraps, and cut. (If dough becomes too soft because you keep messing up, refrigerate it for 10 minutes and problem solved.) Repeat with remaining dough. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle them with the sanding sugar.
3. Bake! Rotate the cookies about halfway through until the edges are golden (16 to 18 minutes), then let them cool completely. Your cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to one week. Enjoy!
