Pecan Pumpkin Roll

So festive. These are delicious, spongy cakes that just ooze of goodness. I use all real ingredients like real butter, real cream cheese (no low fat or non-fat stuff), real vanilla, etc.


3 eggs

1 cup sugar

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup canned pumpkin

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling:

2 packages cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Lastly, mix in lemon juice.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan; sprinkle with pecans.Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel , jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to within ½ in. of edges. Roll up again; place seam side down on a serving platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

The Best Fruit Dip

This fruit dip is even better than my mom's yummy fruit dip that I have loved for years... Seriously, once you try it, you will switch. A bunch of gals in my ward make this dip. I had to have the recipe after eating it a couple of times at Baby Showers, etc. Now, follow the instructions. You can't just throw everything in the Bosch like I did the first time I made it.

Beat the following until fluffy.

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar

Add, the following, and then blend until smooth.

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 c. milk

Gently fold in

1 container cool whip

Serve with your favorite fruit. I almost always serve it with strawberries, apples and bananas.

Simple Asian Salad

I make this simple salad everytime we have potstickers for dinner... my roommates used to make this meal combo and I loved it.

Romaine lettuce
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 can mandarin oranges drained
toasted slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing
2 T. sugar (or Splenda)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. salt
3-4 dashes Tobasco
salad oil to taste

Cherry DeHeather Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Heather Luley while we lived in Evanston. It is by far my favorite salad. I love sweet and savory salads and this one is the best! It is really simple. I always have this dressing in my fridge. And I keep a container of homemade candied pecans in my pantry so I can whip this out in minutes.

1/2 c. pecans
3 T sugar
8 cups lettuce (I use spring mix)
1/2 c. feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 c. dried cherries
1 small red onion (sliced or diced)

Dressing
4 T raspberry vinegar
1/2 t. Tobasco sauce
1/2 c. oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T dried parsley
4 T sugar (or Splenda)

Carmelize pecans with sugar. (Stir in frying pan over medium heat until sugar melts).

Whisk together dressing ingredients.

Toss greens, feta cheese, dried cherries, onion and sugared pecans. Pour dressing over salad just before serving.

Kendee's Spinach Salad

1-2 bags of baby spinach
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced or chopped)
5-8 sliced of bacon (cooked, cooled and cut into pieces)
handful of sliced almonds
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 avocados (cut into chunks)
5 strawberries (sliced)

Place the spinach in the bottom of your bowl. Sprinkle each remaining ingredient over the top, creating layers. This salad is so delicious and beautiful. When you are ready to serve, toss together with the salad dressing (you wont need all the dressing) or serve with the dressing for individual servings.

Spinach Salad Dressing (Adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook)
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 c. sugar
1/2 onion chopped
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. prepared mustard
1 c. salad oil

In blender mix all ingredients, except oil. Add oil and blend again.

Fabulous Pitas

I got this from a friend who made them for us for lunch on Friday. My pitas have never turned out this good so I had to get her recipe. It's from allrecipes.com called Peppy's Pita Bread

Pita Bread
1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

(she makes hers in her mixer so don't fret if you don't have a bread machine. Just order the ingredients like you would for white bread)

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

1/2 pound Italian sausage (I used ground turkey browned with garlic, fennel, oregano and salt)
3-4 slices bacon, crumbled
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
mozzarella cheese
1 can spaghetti or pizza sauce

Crust:
1 C. warm water
2-1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
2+ C. Flour

Combine water, yeast and sugar and let stand until foamy and frothy. Add oil and salt stir in the flour until it forms a nice dough ball. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Brown the meat, onion and bacon. Set aside.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll out a large enough circle for your pan. It should be soft and workable, try not to make it too thick. Press into a greased deep dish pan that has been sprinkled with corn meal ( used a spring-form pan. It was great for serving). Spread the meat onto the dough, top with sliced tomatoes, cover with mozzarella cheese. Spoon the sauce over the cheese, sprinkle with additional seasonings if you like. Be generous with the sauce but don't overfill above your crust line. Bake at 350 for approx. 40 minutes.

Monsters & Eyeballs

Spooky Eyeballs
an easy spooky treat!

Rice Krispie Treats
(1/4 C. butter, 1 pkg mini marshmallows, 8 1/2 C. Rice Krispies)
Sugar Cookie Icing
(1 C. Powdered Sugar, 3-4 tsp milk, 1 tsp almond extract, 2 tsp corn syrup)
Food Coloring
Chocolate Chips or M&M's

As your rice krispie treats cool coat your hands in oil and press them firmly into balls. Allow to cool and harden on a greased pan. Dip in uncolored icing smoothing it with your fingers or a spatula and allow it to harden. Drizzle with red icing for "Bloodshot" effect. I'd use a stiffer frosting for the iris but you can just add extra powdered sugar to the above recipe and add your choice of food coloring. Top with an inverted chocolate chip and voila!


Awkward-phase Monster
I've dubbed my monster to be in his awkward phase to account for his asymmetry, goofy expression and snaggly teeth.

Use the same recipes as above, just form the rice kripsies into the desired shape and use all different colors of frosting. I used candy corn for his chompers and finger nails.

Happy Halloween!

Torta de Mil Hojas

"Cake of 1000 Layers"

This is a cake that Danny used to eat in Chile. Since it was Chilean Independence Day on Friday I took a stab at it. It reminds me of baklava. The original recipe is on recipezaar and allrecipes, but I've included a few tips and upgrades that will make it much easier and tastier.

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
7/8 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 (14 ounce) cans Dulce de Leche or sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sliced almonds
Chocolate Ganache, optional (recipe below)

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Mix together the flour and baking powder; set aside.
3 In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
4 Blend in the egg yolks, one at a time.
5 Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
6 The dough will be stiff like a cookie dough.
7 Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape into balls.
8 Roll each ball into a thin 9 inch circle (**thinner than a pie crust**)
**I found it much easier to roll it out between layers of wax paper because it helps to keep the shape when you transfer it to the cookie sheet. Also, it's nearly impossible to get the layers evenly shaped and sized so next time I'll use a large trifle dish or something like it to cut them out like sugar cookies.
9 Place on **parchment lined** cookie sheets and prick with a fork in several places.
10 Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
11 Place one cookie layer on serving plate.
12 Spread with the Dulce de Leche making sure to reach all the edges.
13 Continue stacking until all layers are used.
**after I used all my layers, I spread a small layer of chocolate ganache on the top to give a contrasting flavor to the sweetness of the Dulce de Leche. Not all versions of the cake use chocolate but I'm a sucker for ganache. (bring 2/3 Cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Once it's fully incorporated and smooth allow it to cool to a spreadable consistancy.**
14 Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Instructions for making Dulce de Leche (if you couldn't buy it pre-made)
-In a sauce pan, boil the unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. Monitor the water closely, to make sure there is always water in the pan.
-Remove can from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Guacamole de Los Dioses

Dulce y Picante

If you don't speak Spanish, then allow me to perform a mild translation: This is the "Guacamole of The Gods." Sweet and Spicy. This is the product of an idea from friends combined with some of my favorite Mexican flavors. So enough with the monologue. Here are the goods.

Mandatory Ingredients:

1. 5 Avocados (not too firm, not too soft)
2. 2 Peeled Navel Oranges
3. 1/8C Diced Jalapenos
4. 3T El Pato Sauce (ideally replace with Carolina's salsa and fore go garlic)
5. 1t Minced Garlic
6. 1T Crushed Red Pepper
7. 2 Limes (not key limes)
8. 2t Black Pepper
9. 1t Salt
10. 1 Bunch of Diced Cilantro
11. 1/2 Bunch of Diced Green Onions
12. 1/2 Finely Diced Red Onion

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 Diced Tomatoes

I personally do not prefer tomatoes in my guacamole, but I can't speak for everyone.

Instructions:

For a more course and thick consistency, squeeze in lime juice and add contents, then blend by hand using a knife and spoon (slicing grid patterns in mixing bowl and turning the mix with the spoon, repeated to desired distribution and thickness). Spoon in diced tomatoes following regular mixing if desired.

For a smoother consistency, squeeze in lime juice and add contents, then machine blend in 2sec pulses with pauses to shake and tap larger contents to the bottom of the blender. Spoon in diced tomatoes following regular mixing if desired.

Personalization:

• If you want it sweeter, add orange (not lime juice, this will taste sour over extended storage).
• If you want it hotter, add more red crushed pepper (not jalapenos, to prevent elevated spice from storage).
  

If your friends have a problem with you double-dipping in this green goodness, simply get yourself some new friends. It shouldn't be too hard with your new found party dip recipe. Go ahead and take credit, just don't bring it to my party.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs

Evelyn and I ran to a nearby farmers market on Wednesday. The colorful displays of fresh vegetables inspired last night's meal.

This recipe started with something I saw in this month's issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. It was very easy to put together, and Chris and I felt so happy with every bite. Bonus: this tastes great at room temperature and even better the next day so it is a great meal to prepare for guests ahead of time.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs
Serves 6-8

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4" chunks
3 large tomatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into 3/4" chunks
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 3/4" chunks
8 slices rustic bread
8 eggs
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Toss tomatoes, thyme and oregano with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
2. Toss eggplant, onion, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Toss zuccini and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a second large rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast both sheets of vegetables until golden and tender (about 45 minutes). Rotate the pans once during roasting.
5. Remove pans from oven and immediately add hot vegetables to the large bowl with tomatoes. Stir well to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven, about 2 minutes
7. Fry up some eggs how you like 'em (the Martha Stewart version called for poached eggs, so keep that in mind, too).
8. Assemble: put one piece of toast on a plate, spoon on a generous helping of ratatouille, and top with the fried egg.

ENJOY!

www.homemademothering.com

Mellon pops

Hopefully Chef Tess will forgive me for pirating a photo. Do you guys know about Chef Tess? She makes food beautiful. I really hate watermelon. When I saw this though I had to try. Click here for the easiest, healthiest treat you can have this summer. Yummy and fresh.

Enchilada sauce

I am on a make everything by scratch kick. Last night I tried my own enchilada sauce. It was SO good and about 1/4 the price of the regular stuff.

Red Enchilada SauceIngredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 T flour
6 T chili powder (I used 3 T reg. chili powder and 3 T pasilla de ancho powder)
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, pureed in blender or food processor until smooth
1 (14 oz) can of chicken broth (or just under two cups)
1 t ground cumin
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion salt
Directions: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning the flour. Gradually stir in pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices into flour and chili powder until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.
**This makes a large batch. I used it to make a 9" x 13" pan of bean burros with red sauce and had 1 pint left over. The sauce is so yummy and really good mixed in with the pureed beans and served as a bean dip.
Thanks to Amy at Sisters Dish for this keeper.

Smashed Beans

(does the pic help or hinder?)
It seems like the world is getting into being more prepared. The other day I bought a 25 pound bag of pinto beans for around $10 at Costco. I got home and wondered what I was thinking because I have never cooked beans from scratch. Guess what....EASY! I found this recipe at Sisters Dish. It is so easy! Once again this saves me a ton of time. I make a big crockpot of these the first of the week and they are great as a side for fish tacos, a quick dinner or lunch of bean burritos, or for the start of east hearty bean soup (see below). I figure the whole pot is about $1 so it is a great deal (please note I always buy my seasonings at Smiths in bulk for pennies).
SMASHED BEANS
I rinse and soak 3 cups of beans for ~ an hour or longer(depending on how much time I have-I DO THEM OVERNIGHT). Then I rinse them again (IMPORTANT TO MAKE THEM NOT GASSY), put them in the crock pot with 3 T bacon grease ( I LEAVE THIS OUT)and cover them with 3 inches of water. If I need to add more water later in the day, I bring it to a boil in the microwave before adding it to the crock pot. I cook the beans on high for 5-6 hours (I DID THEM FOR 8-10), or until I can easily smash one of the beans between my finger and the counter top...make sense?:)
MY MOM'S TIP IS TO SCOOP OFF THE FOAM SEVERAL TIMES WHILE COOKING. THIS TIP MAKES THEM MUCH EASIER ON THE DIGESTION.
When the beans have about 1/2 hour left to cook I add the following: 5 jalapeno rings(from the jar, you could use fresh jalapeno), 1/2 T seasoning salt, 1/2 T garlic salt, 1/2 t onion powder, 1/2 t cumin and 1 T chili powder.
After that cooks for about 1/2 hour, I scoop out the beans with a slotted spoon to the food processor and puree with ~ 1 cup of cheese. I add liquid from the beans as I puree until I get my desired consistency.



Hearty Fiesta Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
1 (16 oz) can fat-free refried beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes & chilies, like RO*TEL (I used the 15 oz generic brand petite diced tomatoes with green chilies)
Directions: Put the broth and refried beans into a soup pot and heat, while whisking together, until the beans have incorporated fully into the broth.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat, while stirring until the soup is boiling.
Serve with cilantro, cheese, sour cream and a couple dashes of Tabasco.

Limeade or Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

My oven broke over the weekend and I was supposed to bring the dessert to a friend's small dinner gathering. Oh crap! Cookies? No. Brownies? Cupcakes? Nope, all the easy options were out of the question. Luckily, I found this no-bake recipe for the yummiest summer dessert ever.

6 oz. limeade or lemonade concentrate
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 plastic tub of whip topping
1 pre-made graham cracker crust

Thaw a bit the concentrate and ice cream. In a large bowl, pour in the concentrate. Mix well with an electric mixer until pretty smooth, like the consistency of a slurpee. Add the two cups of ice cream, one cup at a time. Mix well with electric mixer until creamy smooth (taste here required, yum). Then add the whole tub of whip topping, again mixing well with electric mixer. When all lumps are gone, spoon fluffy goodness into the pie crust. You might have a little bit extra filling, which is perfect for eating straight from the bowl. Freeze pie at least 4 hours or over night. Enjoy!

Paula Dean - Sour Cream Mini Muffins

(this is the only picture I could find -I am scooping them into the muffin tin)

My Mother in law introduced me to these tasty little muffins while we were in Hawaii.
She served them hot with yummy jams/preserves. Wish I had some right now with guava jelly!

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 1/2 pint sour cream
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and spoon into small, un-greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

I found the recipe here

Lisa's Broccoli Salad

We had a BBQ yesterday and Lisa (the same one that has brought us many other recipes here) came and brought her broccoli salad. I have to say it was the yummiest Broccoli salad I have ever had. She got the main recipe out of "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" (a great cookbook if you don't have it) but she tweaked it a little. I think I have those tweeks here.
Broccoli Salad
2 bunches of fresh broccoli (she used some broccolini)
1 med purple onion finely chopped (she did it way more fine then I ever do and it was great!)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 strips bacon cooked till crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (she used slivered almonds, marvelous)
1/2 cup raisins (she debated craisins which I also think would be good)

Mix together, adding bacon and dressing right before serving.

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
2 Tbsp Red vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (we both thought it would be better with 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
chill dressing at least one hour before tossing with salad

The Upper Echelon Bacon Sandwich

The King of All Gluttonous Sandwiches Meets High Society in this
Upper Echelon Bacon Sandwich

Ingredients:
-Applewood-Smoked Bacon (Thick-Cut Uncured)
-Granny Smith Apples (The more tart the better)
-Medjool Dates
-Cherry Peppers (Hot)
-Vinegar
-Honey
-Black Berries
-Club Soda
-Arugula

-Sourdough Bread
-White Balsamic Vinaigrette
-Black Pepper
-Salt
-Coconut Oil

Preparation Process:

You start by placing the desired portion of bacon on an unlined cookie sheet, grind on some fresh pepper and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 min. Remove from oven at desired crispness and allow 10 min for cooling and grease runoff.
Next place dates in lightly-oiled frying pan on medium heat to soften dates. In a separate lightly-oiled pan warm finely chopped cherry peppers and add desired salt and pepper to bring out heat and flavor. Remove the dates from the pan and butterfly them open and discard the seed.
You will also want to soak the black berries in freezing cold club soda. At the same time soak a healthy portion of Granny Smith Apple shreds in vinegar and honey and turn for consistent coverage.
Meanwhile toast the slices of sourdough bread with butter on hot surface until crisp.

Assembly and Consumption:

1 - Apply vinaigrette to bottom slice and place dates and black berries on generously.
2 - Build a cross-threaded heap of bacon atop black berries and dates for maximum stability.
3 - Cover with arugula, scattered cherry peppers and Granny Smith Apple shreds.
4 - Drizzle vinaigrette and honey over the pile and then set the top slice above all that goodness.
5 - Enjoy!

P.S. The leftover apples, dates, black berries, peppers and arugula make a great salad to adorn your plate with.

- Q

Chicken Stir-Fry

I've recently joined a produce co-op and in our latest pick up I signed up to get the asian pack which included bok choy, garlic, sugar snap peas things like that. I've never eaten bok choy, so why not try it now, right! Well, in trying to figure out what to make, I decided to use a sauce recipe I found from my friend's blog that was KILLER, and use it for this mis-mash of ingredients and dub it my stir-fry. I decided to double the sauce recipe this time, big mistake because it was WAY too saucy and got really dark. So just follow the regular directions below for best results!!

Click HERE for Holly's original Bourbon Chicken recipe that is equally as delicious!

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas
4 oz. fresh button mushroooms sliced
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
5 whole leaves of bok choy, thinly sliced

I didn't measure any of the veggies, so that's entirely subjective, but here's the recipe for the sauce:

1 garlic clove (minced)
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I half this because of my kids)
¼ cup apple juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Thinly slice chicken breasts, and dust them lightly with cornstarch. Heat oil in large frying pan and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned over medium-high heat. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels and set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the pan and add the veggies to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes til crisp tender.

In a blender combine all sauce ingredients and blend for about 10-15 seconds. Strain the mixture into the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce has thickened and reduced almost completely to thick glaze over chicken and peppers. Serve over hot steamed rice.

Root Beer Cookies

These are a fun novelty cookie the kids will love. They taste like Root beer. They were really moist. They have a TON of butter so I wouldn't make them often at all but they would be fun for a Memorial Day BBQ.
Root Beer Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract (as called concentrate)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)
Root Beer frosting (recipe below)Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the root beer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. The dough should be slightly sticky.
Chill for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter). I like to use a mini-ice cream scoop so that the cookies end up evenly sized.
Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies. Gently press the tops of the dough. (If you leave out the water, sometimes the cookies don’t spread very much.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Makes about 4 dozen.
Frosting Recipe
1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract (also called concentrate)
a few tablespoons hot water
Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.
Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up. (It should dry a bit on the top.) You can leave out the root beer extract and you’ll have a tasty, soft brown sugar cookie.