siblings, snickerdoodles, and thankfulness

Last week, my little brother and sister ( the two littles pictured below) wanted to bake cookies. Not just any cookies, but Snickerdoodles, our family's beloved easy-to-make-and-to-bake cookie of choice. These cookies are delicious--so much so I've been temporarily 'banned' from making them to preserve the health of our family...these cookies are not particularly healthful...not at all actually...and they seem to have the habit of making themselves addictive. With most recipes, I try to make them healthier by using less sugar, but with this one...not a chance. If it a'int broke don't fix it, right? With these cookies that is most assuredly true.

It is such a blessing to bake with little siblings. I loved helping the 'littler' one add the salt and mix it up, and watching the 'bigger' one take off and measure everything to the T...spoon (hey, I just couldn't resist).

Any time spent with these two kiddos is time well spent, and I loved baking with them. They've got talent!

Not to mention they're pretty cute and kinda sorta amazing. ( =

(Yes, I do love my siblings a LOT. And NO, they're not for sale.)

Freshly baked beauties! Want to learn how to make em'?

Snickerdoodles

        2 cups all-purpose flour

        2 teaspoons cream of tartar

        1 teaspoon baking soda

        1/4 teaspoon salt

        1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter, softened

        1 1/2 cups sugar

        2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line or grease 2-3 cookie sheets ( it is helpful if you use a couple cookie sheets because you'll need to either have several sheets OR wait until the sheet cools down before you put the next set of cookies into the oven. Make sense?).

Now, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda,and salt until well mixed.

Next, beat in a large bowl (an electric mixer is quite handy at this point) the butter and 1.1/2 cups sugar, until creamy (and, I might add, delicious). At this point add the eggs and beat until well blended.

Now, slowly mix in the flour mixture until completely combined and the dough resembles...well, cookie dough.

Shape the dough into roughly 1.1/4 inch balls (it's very approximate-don't stress about it and I order you NOT to reach for the ruler) and roll into a mixture of:

       about 1/4 cup sugar and 3-5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

arrange on a cookie sheet with 2-3 inch spaces between each cookie ( they WILL spread, so make certain they have plenty of room).

Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning the cookie sheet once midway through the baking process to insure they bake evenly, until the cookies are light golden brown. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool. One batch usually makes 3-4 trays of cookies.

That's pretty simple, right? 

This little face is so dear. Thank you, LORD, for my sister.

After all our baking work was done, we went out to the garden to enjoy the fruits of our labor. As I took the above picture, my heart filled with wonder and thanks to the LORD.

I am so, so thankful, and He is so, so good.

Love,

Emily

Every good and perfect gift is from above...

James 1:17