Icing Sugar Cookies

So, if you have been reading my blog for a while now, you know about my relationship with baking. I LOVE making my own bread, and it comes out perfect! The process is fun, relaxing and satisfying.

Cookies on the other hand? Not so much. Refer to this post and this one if you don't believe me.

So for Brad's birthday, I offered him my services - he could pick any recipe out of our Anna Olsen cookbook and I would make it for him. Please understand - this book is full of coffee ice cream cakes, creme brulee, tarts and loaves. What does he choose?

Cookies.

And not just any cookies - Icing Sugar Cookies. See them in the picture? Yes. Those fancy ones with the hard icing. Yay.

So the night before I planned to bake them, I made the dough. The first thing you do is beat the butter until it's creamy. While I was doing this Brad walked in and took a huge clump out of the bowl thinking it was cookie dough. Before I could warn him he shoved it straight into his mouth - 100% butter. We're off to a great start.

Anyway, I put the dough in the fridge overnight. Little did I realize that when I pulled it out of the fridge in the morning it would be solid as a rock. So I had to wait an hour and a half for it to thaw out. Awesome.

Then the usual - I roll it out (with a real rolling pin this time, not a bottle of rum) and it sticks all over my pastry board.....

.....then I scrape it off and scoop it straight into my mouth....after that I make the most awful heart shapes.....

.....and they bake up to look like bums.

In the end, they tasted fantastic! But awwwhhhh...did they look sad. Unfortunately, and I do say this with a lot of regret - I never took a picture of the finished product. This is the only photo - notice the green 'snot' icing sliding down the sides of the cookies? Mmmm.........

Okay, Robin - comment away......