Day: December 1, 2021

December 1: Brown Eyed Susans

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I have no idea why these are called Brown Eyed Susans. Maybe they look like eyeballs? But I don’t want to think about that for too long, nor do I want to think about why they are Susan’s eyeballs.

Brown Eyed Susans

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 t almond extract
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 2 c all purpose flour

Cream the butter with a mixer and add sugar, almond extract, and salt. Add flour. Place on to parchment papered cookie sheet in rounded tablespoons, then flatten either with a glass or your fingers. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on rack. Frost and top with sliced or chopped almonds.

Frosting:

  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 2 T cocoa
  • hot water
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • sliced or chopped almonds

Blend sugar and cocoa, add just enough hot water to make frosting spreading consistency. Stir with whisk. Add vanilla.

I will admit, I was skeptical with these. Only 3T of sugar? Weird frosting that asks for hot water, and not even a measurement with that? What sort of Christmas cookie sorcery is this?

But it all worked out.

Oh, and hey, it turns out I haven’t gotten any better at not making a giant mess with the mixer.

24 Days, 2021 Style

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I’m back.

We all know that 2020 was a dumpster fire, and if anyone noticed I was gone from my yearly tradition, maybe they assumed it was because I just couldn’t any more with 2020.

Well, I’ll tell you, yes, that was a reason. But a bigger reason than generally 2020-ness that I didn’t do cookies last year was because I had my heart broken by a promotion I didn’t get, at a job where I was giving it my all. It sent me into a super scary depression, and cookies were about the last thing on my mind. It was bad.

But that was then. And here I am now, with a great new job (!) , a new house (!!), a fiancé (!!!), and some perspective on life, love, and of course, cookies.

I’ll be overhauling this site this year, bit by bit, so don’t be alarmed if things start to look different around here. If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last year, it’s that change isn’t always a bad thing.

Now, on with the Christmas cookies!