Thursday, September 8, 2016

cinnamon sugar cookies . . . and apples, apples, apples for Teacher!



I'm re-sharing this post from last year's back-to-school week.

Our 6 and 7-year-old will be attending a new school this year, and it starts a few weeks after the rest of the school district, so we're enjoying these last few days of Summer break . . . and prepping for back-to-school!

I hope you enjoy this first tribute to apple season!

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WARNING . . . There are a lot of photos of apples!

I like to send a "Welcome back!" gift with my kids on their first day of school to give to their teachers.

Last year, I sent a big bag of home-made chewy chocolate chip and toffee cookies.

And this year, we baked cinnamon sugar cookies in the shape of apples!







I bought several varieties of apples at the Farmer's Market earlier in the week . . . Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious.








The kids had no idea that there are so many varieties. We even had an apple taste-testing!

Pink Lady and Granny Smith were our favorite!

We decorated our cookies based on the apples we brought home from the Market.

And these were the home-made APPLES our 5- and-6-year old brought their teachers on the first day of school . . .








I packaged them in clear cellophane bags and then tied them with rustic rope. We carefully placed them in a simple brown gift bag cushioned with brown shredded paper.  They were darling!

Here are the kids' interpretations of the apples. They did a great job!


Braeburn 


Golden Delicious & Granny Smith 


Gala


Pink Lady
Did you notice the pink sanding sugar?
This was the girls' favorite apple!



I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, and added cinnamon and a little nutmeg to give the dough warm hints of Fall. These spices were a great addition!



cinnamon sugar cookies
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2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons (1 ½  sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
 powder sugar (instead of flour) for rolling out dough
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Preparation
To make the cookies, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt . . . set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a flattened ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured powder sugar surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake until just golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans and let cool completely.

Makes 10 to 20 cookies, depending on cutter size.






Sugar Cookie GLAZE
2 ¼  cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Combine ingredients and mix until smooth
Using a small paint brush (or the tip of your finger), spread on top of cookies
Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of GLAZE when it's wet

The secret to a 'clean' sugar edge is not letting the glaze drip down the sides of the cookie.
A thick glaze is also key.
After the glaze has been mixed, add 1 Tablespoon of confectioners' sugar at a time, 
until you get the desired consistency.
Have fun!








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LET'S STAY in touch!
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Thank you so much for stopping by!
I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!











5 comments:

  1. I knew you'd make cookies for the teachers. I bet all the teachers fight over who is going to get your little ones in class.The cookies are so cute -- I miss doing things like that. Are you settling in? I bet you're having a great time going to all the antique stores and Farmer's Market :-) Can't wait to see what you do next. Sending big hugs!!

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  2. You are so incredibly talented. I've had apples on the brain and this just made me smile. Will be sharing it on Facebook. I'm just thinking in general these would be amazing in clear jars for fall.

    Love Those Granny Smith

    Carole @ Garden Up Green

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  3. I am not head over heels in love with fall just yet but I love apple season. Braeburns are my faves and these cookies are perfect! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. I love Honeycrisps - they are a real treat, though, since they are so pricey!

    These apple cookies are beautiful! As are the apples which you photographed with them. Just a beautiful post, Suzanne!

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  5. I don't like apples much....but these pictures are so awesome...now i am going to this out.
    https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/profile/504036/

    ReplyDelete

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