Guest Blog from Meera

Christmas is coming! Presents under the tree! Great smells of cookies coming from the convection oven in the kitchen. However, I am not the one baking. I am not a baker by nature or by talent. Since I don't bake, then why a I getting fancy non-stick bakeware for Christmas? I think it might be a conspiracy put forth by my family to try and get me to be a baker. So here I am with a lovely brand new bakeware set complete with all clad bakeware, mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons. It feels a little like overkill to me. Or maybe they are our to guilt me into baking.

I bet you are wondering how I know, before Christmas, that I am getting all this lovely bakeware. Well, because they gave me my gift already. Yippee, skippee (note of sarcasm). Why, you might ask? Apparently I have to bake cookies for the Christmas cookie exchange at school, and at church, oh yeah, and at work. Either no one has figured out that I don't bake, or they don't care.

What, again you ask, is a cookie exchange That is a darling of an idea created by some graduate of Betty Crocker's school of baking that is once again taking over kitchens everywhere. Although they can be fun, they are definitely labor intensive. You are invited (required) to bake 12 dozen cookies all of the same kind then you package them in 12 little packages. On the day of the cookie exchange you take all your little packages and swap them with 12 other people thus gaining 12 pounds of extra holiday weight, oops no 12 different kinds of cookies. Can you tell that I am not a fan? Sorry to be a Christmas downer I just don't to spend weeks in the kitchen baking cookies

Here is how I decided to do it, using none of my new bakeware except for cookie sheets, or mixing bowls or even the measuring cups. I went to the local market and bought that refrigerated cookie dough, sliced it up and away I went. Then just t make it even easier I took the 12 dozen cookies I got in exchange and took them to the next exchange and traded away. In this fashion my 12 dozed cookies saved me time, energy and effort. Instead of baking 36 dozen cookies for 3 parties I just kept the first dozen reworking themselves. Then, because I was completely over the whole thing, I took the overworked 12 dozen cookies to the homeless shelter in town. They certainly need them more than I do.

Do not worry I am not a Scrooge. I love my new fancy bakeware set complete with mixing bowls and measuring cups, they will make the perfect gift for Aunt Frannie this Christmas. She will simply adore them, then she will show us how much she adores them by baking her fabulous snicker doodles. That way I get cookies with not of the baking.

Merry Christmas to all and to all good night.

Ingredients

•  2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Mix together in shallow bowl

Receipe

Mix toget the flour, salt, and baking powder In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well Add the vanila extract Slowly add the flour mixture mixing until there is a smooth dough

Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls (one to two hours) Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the center of the oven Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or use silicone baking mats) Shape the dough into 1 inch round balls Roll the balls in the coating mixture and place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart Using the bottom of a glass, gently flaten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes