For those of you in the U.S. with me, happy Memorial Day! Since Memorial Day is sort of the unofficial kick-off for summer, I thought I’d try out something from my Summer board today: sand dollar cinnamon sugar cookies.
Image from mamamiss.com: Sand Dollar Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Past sugar cookie operations have not gone according to plan. Also, you will note from previous entries that I am a useless sack of dicks in the kitchen, and precision is my baking downfall.
So I did not have high hopes for this, especially considering it’s a sugar cookies from scratch recipe. But I gathered my supplies.
There is one fairly high skill-level kitchen task which I can accomplish without fail and without the use of special tools nearly every time: I am an egg separating prodigy. I only use the shells and can separate them without breaking the yolk pretty much every time. So I did that first. Here is proof that I did not fuck it up:
Ask me to “cream together” softened butter and powdered sugar, though, and I scratch my head and utter something akin to, “Beh?” Number one: I don’t know exactly what constitutes “softened” butter. I sort of half-melted mine and called it good. Number two: I don’t know what “cream together” means so I just threw it in my KitchenAid and mixed it.
Also, I never buy unsalted butter, so this was salted butter, but I figured it would all even out if I just left out the pinch of salt the recipe called for, right?
Then I added the dry stuff and only sprayed some of the fine flour-dust around the kitchen because I turned the mixer on too high too fast. But that’s just part of baking… I think…
Per instructions, you leave this dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before rolling it out, but I didn’t read that part before I started, and I had a pool party to go to, so that shit went in the refrigerator for like ten minutes before I got impatient and said to hell with it and rolled it out anyway.
I probably should have waited. It was super sticky, but the biggest problem was that it was really hard to pick up the cookies once I cut them and they sort of got squished in transport from the counter to the cookie sheet. I performed some field medic magic and did the best I could putting them back in a round shape, but after two sheets, I gave up and put the rest of the ball back in the refrigerator. So, on the plus side, I can dirty up my kitchen again tomorrow with a new batch of these fuckers.
Also, it takes for-freakin’-ever to find the most perfectly shaped almond slivers and arrange them in a star-shape on top of less-than-perfect circle cookies.
But I did it. I persevered. For two sheets of cookies, anyway. Then I was like, “Fuck this shit, I’m goin’ swimming.” Except then I didn’t go swimming because it was sort of cold… but I did drink rum, so close enough.
ANYWAY. The crucible of the oven (ha, literally) reshaped these things into something a little less horrifying and I actually wasn’t too embarrassed to share these with people.
I did wait to bring them out until everyone else had also had a few rum drinks, though. And they tasted pretty damn delicious, if I do say so myself. I guess it’s hard for cookies made up of largely butter and powdered sugar to taste bad.
Anyway, happy Memorial Day, Pintestes, and happy summer!
Just a quick note about The Pintester Movement: Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have signed up! As of the writing of this post, I have 133 participants! Amazing! There is still time to sign up if you want to– go for it! And don’t worry if you haven’t heard from me yet. I’m going to send all participants an email tomorrow with instructions, links, and a few other goodies for your post, which should go up on May 30 (so we all post our stuff on the same day!). Thanks again!
16 Comments
We used to make these when I was growing up. Here’s the key–fuck that whole rolling out the dough thing. Roll the dough into a log, covered with plastic wrap. Put it in the freezer then slice them with a knife into rounds and stick them on your cookie sheet.
I never, ever let dough chill as long as it’s supposed to. I just stick it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes and it seems to do the trick. But I have also basically given up on rolled-out cookies because I always overwork the dough and it turns out hard and bland. Drop cookies made with a little cookie scoop are the secret to successful cookie baking, IMO.
Powdered sugar and butter works just fine as a snack. I tried to make Mexican Wedding cookies. I guess they are powdered sugar, butter, and nuts. I am allergic to nuts (insert jokes here). Long story short I ended up with a melted blob of powdered sugar and butter. I was PMSing so who was I to pass up a sweet and buttery treat.
I love this post. You said “super sticky” and “very hard” in the same sentence.
I applaud your patience. I would have just thrown the nuts in the general direction of the cookies and called it good 😉
If your dough only has a little time to chill, put some sheet trays full of ice on the counter where you will be rolling. Get that shit good and cold for about ten minutes, then your dough won’t be as prone to sticking and being a blob. Or just roll the dough in balls then press flat. I hate rolling and cutting cookies by hand. It’s a bitch and doesn’t make them taste any better
Next time (as if, right?) don’t roll them out. Just scoop them from the bowl. I use this recipe and have a small cookie scoop. Perfect circles every time. 🙂
The chill time listed on many flower containing recipes has less to do with dropping the temperature of the dough and more to do with the “chemical” changes happening within the dough. When you allow the dough to set for a while you give the gluten (a protein in wheat, barely, and some other grains) a chance to “cross link” with other strands of gluten. These cross linkings gives the dough a more consistent texture and plays down the stickiness making it easier to cut the circles. 🙂 happy baking
Two Pin Wins in a row? And sweets? That’s exponentially better than wrapping shit in twine or coating it in baking soda.
Hey I’m Ginny! I’m from Raleigh NC! I found you through the NC bloggers
linkup. I was born in Durham, went to college at Meredith in Raleigh and
still am here in the capital city. SO glad to see other NC bloggers! I
have a lifestyle blog called Buttergirl Diaries. It’s funny. I actually know the sweet girl behind Jessica Arden Photography that did your head shot on your cover. Such a small world. So nice to meet you! I love your blog!!
Ginny
As usual your sexually laced rant made my day, so thank you for that. “A wasted bag of dicks” wow, thanks for the visual. Anyway, good job, the cookies look really good as apposed to the squished dicks AKA fingers from Halloween. You rock girl, your getting better at your baking, keep it up 🙂
“Also, I never buy unsalted butter, so this was salted butter, but I figured it would all even out if I just left out the pinch of salt the recipe called for, right?” I could have sworn you read my mind there…I totally do that. Usually doesn’t end up too bad though.
Is the profanity necessary when describing what you did with these cookies. Some people don’t realize they are using profanity cause that’s how the always talk. You could use any sugar cookie recipe then decorate then with cinnamon and sugar an the sliced almonds. They look really nice. Good for a beach party event.
I’m with Ruth. Darling idea! you could have saved yourself A LOT of trouble and just bought Pillsbury refrigerator dough. Tastes very good and easy to use. Further if you just make little balls, roll in cinnamon sugar, then flatten them with the flat bottom of a glass, you would have a great round cookie that you can decorate with almonds and make them look perfect!! With that being said, get rid of the profanity in your writing. If you choose to talk like that….ok. But certainly don’t write like that. Very common. Yeah, I know, I sound like your mother, but she knows a thing or two.
I totally agree with Ruth and Maggie! Almost stopped reading the recipe because of the vulgarity….maybe more appropriate for a men’s locker room? The cookies do look delicious and the design is brilliant….but your mom was right—always be a lady 🙂
Just wanted a cute recipe, not that nasty language.