A CRAFT and A COOKIE #2

Hey Blonde Duck, I loved your idea and here it is. I think I will keep doing this 'craft and a cookie' thing at least through the Holidays. Every Monday I will post them. I am so enjoying crafting this year. I am discovering lots of talented people who have amazing crafting blogs.

This cookie was a final contender in my cookie picks for Christmas. I doubled the batch. I nearly always double a batch of cookies. I feel if you are going to make cookies might as well go and make a bunch. You can always freeze the extras or share with others. I made cookies out of 1/4 of the dough and froze the rest to make closer to Christmas. These cookies taste as good as they look. I did not have any pretty sugar to put around the edges so I used regular sugar. It didn't matter because they are still very pretty with their red and green colors. The recipe comes from Epicurious.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES
Recipe adapted from Epicurious, to see original click here.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1 cup shelled pistachios
  
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup decorating sugar or regular
  

Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 4 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator and cut into 1/4 inch slices. (If frozen , defrost in refrigerator). Bake in a 350 F oven for about 15 to twenty minutes. I baked them on a silpat. Let cool a couple minutes and then remove.




This particular craft is from Make and Take Blog. I thought the idea was simple enough to whip up quickly yet durable and thoughtful enough. Little quick crafts are cute but they do not stay around that long. This is something that has some staying power. Even when the kids aren't using them on their dolls anymore, it can be coverted into a dresser cover or a pillow. So I thought why not. Each one takes about two hours. Once all the little squares are cut, it goes real fast.

I did mine a little differently. I did 36- five inch squares. They are a little bigger than Make and Takes. I made a pillow to go with it for the dollies. This particular ruffle around this pillow is from my daughters dress. I loved this dress and just could not let it go. I decided to cut it up and keep it as a keepsake. Some of the dress was cut into squares and the ruffle I used here. The bodice I will be making into a little purse. I will share that later I guess. Another craft day!