Happy Sugery Easter

 

Happy Easter Everyone!

 

Hope every one's long weekend is full of chocolate, great food and relaxation! Hopefully good weather too.

So far for the Easter weekend I have made Easter/Spring sugar cookies with an added bonus of chocolate chips and dried cranberries yum :D.These cookies are always a hit around this time of year and so simple to bake. Also last night we all dye some Easter eggs and I made sure to showcase some in the pictures. Hehe can you find the hidden Easter egg? lol :P. Easter pictures cant go without Easter eggs and mini eggs :). I will also have a follow up Easter dessert in the upcoming days :).

For more recent news last week I found out I won a giveaway from Suzie the foodie for a "Digital Food Photography"Book. I just received it this passing Thursday and its quite an interesting read. I also found a couple good finds of cookbook at the used book store near where I live. I actually got a Martha Stewart hardcover book for $4. No slipcover and a few pages damage from spillage. But all the recipes are intact and a new version of this book can range from $20-$45. My second book was a Canadian fundraising cookbook for $2, which featured comfort food recipes from around the world. Including Italian,Asian,Thai,German etc. I love this kind of book where it has multiple recipes.A Used bookstore is the only way to go for a cookbook that is affordable and still in good shape.

Back to Easter Treats.......

Well for this recipe I change it up a notch and added my special treats into the cookie dough. Plus I gave them all special Easter shapes.For something fun and different,I'm giving you a bullet detail list to this recipe instead of long paragraphs, which is never fun lol :)

 

Pros :

• Simple directions and ingredients.
• Very adaptable for other treats and replacements
• Chills and rolls out easily
• Keeps cookie cutter shapes
• Great for decorating with icing or sugar
• Dough pairs well with dried fruits and chocolate etc
• Length about 1 hour + 
• Baking timing is basically right on about 6-8 minutes, perfect time is 7 mins for lightly golden. 
• Cookies keep for a long time under room temp, longer in fridge.
• Great for lunches and snacks 
• Very kid friendly 

Cons

• Unable to roll out dough to thin if chocolate chips or cranberries are added.

Texture

 

Soft, flaky and crunchy. Melt in your mouth with a chewy aspect from the cranberries. Melty, soft texture from the chocolate chips.

 

Flavor

 

Basic delicious sugar cookie without any butter being used.I however would of prefer it for a more buttery flavor.Lightly and mild sweetness from the cookie dough while the cranberries give a tangy sweet. Chocolate chips help balance out the sweet and flavor among the cookie. Fruit and chocolate have always done well together :).

 

I give 2 thumbs up for this recipe!

 

 

Sugar Cookies Easter Shapes

(Adapted From Sugar Cookies, The Original Woodward's Cookbook,Cooking with Mona By Mona Burns,2003)

 

2/3 cup Tender flake lard

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

4 tsp half &half cream

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped finely

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

 

Med bowl.Beat fat, sugar and almond extract well.Add eggs and beat till fluffy.

Stir in milk.Blend in flour,baking powder,and salt, till fully combined. Divide dough in half and wrap in saran wrap and chill for 1 hour or overnight.

 

375F for oven. Roll out one batch of dough and keep the second batch chilled.Flour surface and roll out dough till it hits the chocolate chips/cranberries about 1/8 inch thick.Flour cookie cutters and press into dough. Place on a greased or nonstick pan for 7 minutes exactly till lightly golden brown.Repeat  steps till first batch is gone and continue with the second.Cool slightly on pan and transfer into rack.