Friday, December 19, 2008

Christmas Cookie Countdown [Day 3]

Today I was rummaging through my baking boxes(which I organized a few days ago finally!)and I found a gift I got quite awhile ago. It was a package of sugar cookie mix with a small snowflake cookie cutter inside a cooking mit. It was from Better Home and Gardens, and it really is a cute gift idea. I have no clue where the person who gave this to me got it, but I wish I knew so I could get some for gifts. But then it got me thinking I could make my own! Pick up a neat little Christmas oven mitt and fill it with a bag of cookie mix and attach a little cookie cutter with a ribbon! What a cheap, but nice homemade gift. If you went to the Dollar Store, you could whip up one of these for under $4! I have a feeling I may be making a few for last minute gifts. Anyway, when I found this mix, I figured I better use it, but I didn't want to make another plain ol' sugar cookie for our Christmas platters. So I decided I was going to create my own cookie with one of my favorite spices in the world! I opened my spice rack and pulled out my beloved cardamom spice!! Something about the holiday season brings to mind the delicious loaves of cardamom bread I would recieve each year from a family friend. The golden loaves would be topped with a dusting of red or green sugar and I would eat a slice each morning for breakfast, savoring each bite. Then to my delight, I got the "secret" recipe one year from her, and realized how much work goes into making a masterpiece like that. I am going to make the bread sometime, but for now I wanted to clone the taste of this scrumptious bread, and make it into a cookie! My creation was a yummy one for sure because everytime I would turn around, a little snowflake cookie would be missing! "Dad did you take one of those cookies?" I would yell into the living room. "Yeah, wow these are really good." And this went on about 5 times over the course of the day. Even my dog got out of his comfy bed and came to see what the tantalizing smell was. I ended up giving him a broken piece and that was a mistake, because he kept drooling for more. Needless to say, I am so happy I could clone this bread into a bite size cookie!
Cassie's Cardamom Snowflake Crisps

Ingredients:
1 bag of sugar cookie mix(the standard size)+ingredients listed on bag
1 tsp. cardamom spice
1/4 C flour for dusting surface
1/2 C powdered sugar+1 tsp cinnamon for dusting
Cookie cutter (I used a small snowflake)
Directions:
1)Mix all ingredients together as stated on sugar cookie pouch and add in the cardamom.
2)Let chill for 1/2 hour, just so it is easier to handle. Meanwhile, preheat oven to the temperature stated on mix. Then roll out to 1/4" thick on floured surface and cut with cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet(or one with tinfoil/parchment paper) and pop in the oven for the amount of time stated on the mix.
3)Mix powered sugar and cinnamon together in a cup. Once out of the oven, use a sifter to dust the powdered sugar mixture over the warm cookies. Enjoy with a glass of hot chocolate! =)


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