So Cute by Sarah: Sugar Cookie Day!

Did you know that today is National Sugar Cookie Day? I didn't, if you look at this website Bizarre Holidays there's all sorts of interesting holidays to celebrate......

This is what the website gave as a description of the holdiay:
National Sugar Cookie Day is a day to satisfy your sweet tooth. Popular with young kids, and old kids, sugar cookies usually don't last long around the house. It's pretty easy to see how Sugar cookies came to get their own special day. Almost everyone has had them. Many people are hooked on them. Put out a plate of sugar cookies, and you can be certain they won't be there for long. We haven't seen any surveys, but it's a sure bet that sugar cookies are right up there with chocolate chip cookies as America's favorite cookie. And there is no explanation of how the holiday was started....

In honor of Sugar Cookie Day, my daughter Grace and I made Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Martha Stewart. I'm eating one right now, and they are very Giant and very good. How can you go wrong with chocolate and sugar.. am I right or am I right?

here's the recipe, but if you click here it will take you to Martha Stewart's page and you can get a printer friendly copy....

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable shortening, (substitute: 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled - which we did)

1 large egg

1 1/2 ts. pure vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2.Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (or additional butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

3.Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

So here are some pics of Grace helping me out, and Nelson came in a little later to help lick the bowl and the spoon....

Grace cracked an egg w/out any spilling or shells in the batter!

Nelson joining us....

and the finished cookies (p.s. if you let them cook to long then they get too crunchy, I happen to like mine a bit softer) but they are still very, very good!