baking= procrastinating...

Don't worry.. they are not fattening.... I .. promise?
Well I worked on my classroom for a bit.. then decided to come home and bake! For one, today Drew and I have been married 2 months and I knew he would love a baked treat, and two.. being in my classroom reeally stresses me out. I have to make up a class schedule?? So many things I have never thought about... ah!
Anyways, I started to make some sugar cookies, I made these a few weeks ago, but changed the recipe up a bit today and well.. I'm not trying to brag.. but these are GOOD! So if you ever need sugar cookies, this is a good one!

1/2 cup of butter -- I LOVE "I cant believe its not butter" baking sticks--amazing!
1/2 cup of shortening
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
4 tsp. of vanilla (thats a total guess... I just put a LOT, seriously.. you can't have too much!)
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In your mixer cream the butter, shortening, and sugar. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine the flou, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the egg and vanilla to the mixer(the butter, crisco, and sugar mixture). Mix on Med. for approx. 1 min. Gradually add the flour mixture to this batter. Now, if you want to make cookie shapes I would add a bit more flour, roll it up into a loaf, sprinkle sugar on it, and put it in the fridge for a few hours in wax paper. Today I did not make shapes, so this is what I did:
I rolled the mixture into balls, I rolled the balls in a bowl of sugar (def. do this!) next, put the balls on a cookie sheet and flatten them with the bottom of a glass cup! Bake at 350 for approx 10 minutes, dont let them brown though! Take them out and put on cooling racks, now for the icing.. this is my favorite icing that I use for cookies always, it dries fast, is super easy, and taste great!

1 cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. almond extract
I never really follow exact measurements here, just kind of eye it for how much I need. Just follow this the first time then you will get the hang of it. You just add all of these in a bowl (no specific order) if its too thick just add more corn syrup, but stir it a LOT and it will thin up! And I always add extra almond extract.. I loove that stuff!

One more thing.... My aunt Genie got me this cookie sheet for graduation, it is from "Doughmakers" and it is seriously the best thing...ever! I bake a lot, and I am so picky now I only use this one, its awesome! You can see it here http://www.doughmakers.com/grandcookiesheet.htm ... it has this crackly look to it, I dunno what it is but it makes things bake perfect and never stick!


I love that our oven has this little window, I am sure most people have this.. But I never had one in college, and I really think it just makes baking so much better :)