Hello Neighbors

Every year I like to make a little something for my neighbors. In New York, you live so close to people but never talk to them. I have 3 neighbors but really have no idea who they are. Where do they work? Are they married? Where are they from? Completely unknown. Anyway, I decided to make some cookies and say hi. And would you believe that not one was home.

I figured that the ginger snap cookies, butter cookies and chocolate cover pretzels would be a good mix. I also decided to do this last Saturday, you know the day of the BLIZZARD! I thought I would be snowed in and maybe never see my family again. Well, this was a complete overstatement and everyone and fun of me for going to the store and buying $120 worth of food and not venturing outside.


I started with the chocolate covered pretzels because I thought they would be easy. WRONG! I do not have a double boiler so I thought I didn’t need one and instead up a Pyrex glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. The bowl didn’t exactly fit correctly but I went with it anyway. Needless to say water started boiling over and was a mess. I then switched to a smaller pot but that ended up being too small. A tried a 3rd pot which worked but the chocolate was not melting. Then I remembered seeing the barefoot add some cream to the chocolate and it worked. The chocolate started to smooth out. I was afraid the chocolate wouldn’t harden but after letting them sit out for an hour and then putting them in the fridge, they hardened right up.

Next time I think I will use milk chocolate instead of semi sweet.

I tried the butter cookies next because I thought sugar cookies are a bit overdone. These were plain but I liked them and I got make shapes- if I hade some cookie cutters. Unfortunately, I don’t have any cookie cutters so just a plain unimaginative circle for these. :)

Shelbi's Butter Cookies

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sifted sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Sift together flour and salt into a bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the butter and mix on medium-high until fluffy and light. Add the sugar and the eggs, 1 at a time, until and mix until combined. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour to the butter, sugar, egg mixture. Mix until batter looks smooth. Place dough onto a flowered cutting board and cut the dough into quarters, flatten and wrap with the plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a rolling pin covered in flour, roll out dough quarters 1 at a time, on a floured work surface to 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick. Use a variety of cutters to cut out cookies. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and space cookies about 1 1/2-inches apart.

Bake cookies until they are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using a using a spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.