Oatmeal Cream Pies

I can't think of when I've been so excited to try a recipe! Originally the plan was to make a batch last week when I hosted the senior choir here at my house but when one of the ingredients turned out to be harder to find than I'd anticipated, chocolate cake won out and oatmeal cream pies had to wait.

Not that my desire to whip these cookies up abated one tiny bit. For all the hysteria about Hostess products, I probably could learn to live without Twinkies and even (gasp!) Suzy Q's but what a diminished world this will be if Little Debbie ever decides to disappear with her oatmeal cream pies. 

I've been eating and loving those ever-so-soft and tasty cookies for a very long time. Years ago, when Cindy would come for weekly sleepovers and late night pool swims, we'd often sit in the spa eating Little Debbie's finest creations while looking at dark starry skies and listening to the distant banshee yelps of coyotes. Nothing like sharing good ole' wholesome junk food with your BFF!

This is NOT the cookie you want to whip up on the spur of the moment. By the time I finally had my batch finished it seemed as though I'd been cooking all night and used every appliance I own. Maybe you could do it neater but with all the components of this recipe and so many downright sticky ingredients (corn syrup, molasses, softened butter...) I spent a lot of time cleaning up bowls and spoons and mixers. It was an effort to keep both my camera and iPad someplace where they wouldn't be drowned in a puddle of stickiness. 

Whatever trouble and mess it took to create these cookies they are more than worth it. While I found the ingredient list a bit unusual, each component goes together to create what seems to be a pretty exact replica of Little Debbie's version of this filled cookie. 

You know what I'm the proudest of in regards to tonight's culinary endeavor? Even my marshmallow creme is made from scratch. I had to laugh when I read the comments regarding this homemade version on Annie's site. The nice ladies speak of how positively thrilled they are to have a recipe for the creme because it's just so painful and against God's laws to ever have to actually use that AWFUL version of the marshmallow creme you find in the stores...that would be the same jar of gooey white yummyness that I love and could eat every bit of in one sitting. I only made the home-made version to challenge myself but we'll pretend that I have such high and noble aspirations as the rest of Annie's cooking lady constituents concerning only eating the purest of foods. 

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats

Yield: about 2-3 dozen sandwich cookies, depending on size

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies: 

8 oz. (1½ cups plus 2 tbsp.) all-purpose flour

4 oz. (1¼ cups) old-fashioned oats

½ ounce (2 tbsp.) unsweetened cocoa powder (yea..this is one of the ingredients I found hard to believe...but it worked!)

2 oz. (1 cup, packed) dried apple rings (and this is the one that took a few days to find. I finally got mine at Sprouts.)

3 oz. (6 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2¼ oz. (¼ cup plus 1½ tsp.) canola oil

7 oz. (1¾ cup plus 2 tbsp.) sugar

1½ oz. (3 tbsp.) molasses

3 oz. (6 tbsp.) corn syrup

1½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground mace

1 large egg

2 ounces (¼ cup) milk

For the filling:

2 cups marshmallow creme  (RECIPE BELOW)

4 oz. (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

½ tsp. cream or milk

DIRECTIONS

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, oats, cocoa powder and apples.  Pulse at first to chop coarsely, then process about 2-4 minutes, until no large apple bits or full oats remain.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, oil, sugar, molasses, corn syrup, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the egg and beat 1 minute more.  Blend in the dry ingredients and the milk just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat 30 seconds more.

Use a dough scoop to portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets (about 2 teaspoons for smaller cookies, about 1 tablespoon for larger cookies), leaving ample room as the cookies will spread while baking.  (What Annie doesn't tell you is that the dough will be quite soft - and it will look way too much like poop for comfort. The whole time I was spooning my cookie mixture on the baking sheets I kept thinking how good it was that I'm not pregnant or otherwise squeamish because the sight of those plops of poop might just have made me sick. So, if you get that sensation, be strong and soldier on. The end result is more than worth the rather aesthetically unappealing look of your unbaked cookie mounds.) 

Transfer the pans to the oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are set around the edges and puffed up in the center, about 8 minutes for smaller cookies and 10 minutes for larger cookies.  (They may seem too soft but remember that the original is a very soft cookie so that is the desired texture here.  Also remember the cookies will continue to bake a bit longer once they are out of the oven.)  When cool and set enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FIlling:

To make the filling, combine the marshmallow creme and butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar and salt and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes more.  Transfer the filling mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.   (The tip I use is not labeled, but the opening is just under ½-inch in diameter.) 

To assemble, pair the cookies up by size.  Pipe a small dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair.  Gently sandwich together with the remaining cookie, pressing the filling to the edges.  Store in an airtight container.


DIY Marshmallow Cream
Yield: about 3 cups
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
Pinch of salt
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.  Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 240˚ F on the candy thermometer.


Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  As the temperature of the sugar mixture begins to approach its endpoint, begin whipping the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Once soft peaks have been reached, lower the mixer speed to low.

As soon as the sugar mixture reaches 240˚ F on the candy thermometer, remove the pan from the heat.  Pour the syrup in a very slow, steady stream down the edge of the mixing bowl until it has been completely incorporated.  (It is important to add the syrup slowly so that you don’t cook the eggs.)

Once all of the syrup has been incorporated, return the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled considerably, about 6-7 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes more.  Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Classic Chocolate Layer Cake

I love chocolate cake. A whole lot. Usually I'm more of a brownies, cookies, cobbler kind of girl but who can resist the scrumptiousness of a good chocolate cake? I'll even admit to being addict enough to think that Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker put out pretty decent versions of this basic cake...but certainly no where as good as the one I made this morning!

One of the things that intrigued me about the Annies Eats recipe is the inclusion of espresso powder. I worked for an elderly german lady for a period of many years, doing everything from cleaning her house, wrapping her Christmas gifts, reading to her husband, taking her dogs to the vet (Daily. These were some majorly spoiled dogs!)...and anything else she could think of to make me do. In between that kind of variety of weird jobs and assignments, Mrs. Maylan (or Der Karen as my brother and I secretly called her) gave me cooking lessons. I've long since forgotten the specifics of her background but I do remember that she had trained at some famous cooking school  - the Cordon Bleu?

I still have some of her recipes written out on cards and there will be times when I'm in the kitchen and suddenly remember one of her directions. Always use room temperature eggs and scrape everything out of the inside of the eggshell. Use a scale instead of cup measurement for better accuracy in baking. And, coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate.

A recipe I didn't write down from Der Karen was her version of a classic chocolate cake. When we made one together, I was totally shocked that she used coffee as a flavoring agent. How could a vile, bitter substance like java (needless to say I hadn't yet met Cindy and started my life as a coffee drinker) ever be used to sweeten a yummy chocolate cake???? While I may have harbored a lot of secret doubts, it was a fact that the chocolate cake produced by one very elderly German lady and her young house maid turned out heavenly.

Today, as I went though the steps to create Annies Eats version of a classic chocolate cake, I thought of Mrs. Maylan taking time to cook with me and show me some of her amazing recipes. In my young ignorance, I thought I was helping her but as I look back to that time of my life, I realize so clearly that she was giving me the inestimable gift of time together and sharing the love of baking.


Classic Chocolate Layer Cake
courtesy of Annies Eats
Yield: about 16 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
1¼ cups (6¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pans
2 tsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
1 cup boiling water
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups (12¼ oz.) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
For the frosting:
9.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream



DIRECTIONS
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Butter the edges of 2 9-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the excess.  Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and boiling water.  Whisk until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.  When cooled down a bit, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Gradually blend in the sugar and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes more.  Blend in the eggs one at a time.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream mixture, beating each addition just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake the cake layers for about 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans during halfway through to ensure even baking.  Transfer the baked cake layers to a wire rack and let cool in the pans at least 30 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter.  Spread an even layer of the frosting over the top of the cake.  Top with the second cake layer.  Frost the top and sides of the cake using a thin crumb coat at first.  Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.  (While the crumb coat sets, you may want to leave the mixer on low speed with the remaining frosting so that the melted chocolate doesn’t set.  Once the crumb cake is set, frost the top and sides of the cake again using an offset spatula or spoon for a soft, billowy appearance.  Slice and serve.

Southern Cornbread Salad

I have a confession to make: I can't stand Paula Deen. Oh, I'm sure she's a nice enough lady and I'd probably love her if she were my neighbor, but listening to all those fakey "y'alls" is enough to make my skin crawl. And this is me - the person who absolutely loves listening to friends and family drawl out words with a southern accent. Paula is, however, ridiculous. When I listen to her add a "y'all" in between about every third word of what she says, I think of my brother Greg, after he got out of the Navy. It seems he learned to swear while he was off to far-flung places, defending the American way of life.  (I suppose I should say he perfected his swearing since, heaven knows, he could curse with the best of them even before enlisting in the military.) Post-Navy Greg felt a need to drop the "F" bomb rather liberally as he spoke. You get the picture - about every third word he spoke was that particular curse. Didn't matter if it fit grammatically or logically, he apparently had a need to utter an expletive about six times per sentence. Kinda like Paula. Honestly, I'm not sure I could pick which word annoyed/annoys me more!

Notwithstanding my dislike of Paula's fake sounding accent and overuse of the "Y" bomb, I do like this recipe. I served it for a small group meeting a few months ago and received lots of rave reviews. All the components together create just the right amount of crunch and sweet versus tang to make each spoonful sing. You take a bite of this salad and feel the essence of summer and all things yummy.

(UPDATE: In light of recent news revelations, I feel vindicated. Turns out Paula's not so nice, after all.)

Southern Cornbread Salad
Courtesy of Pauladeen.com

1 batch of cornbread, cut into 1 inch cubes (recipe follows for the cornbread)
1 (14.5 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can niblet corn, drained (I used fresh corn, cut from the cob)
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 large green pepper, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz.) bottle ranch dressing
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Cornbread:
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 1/4 cup for greasing pan
1 cup self-rising cornmeal (if you can't find self-rising cornmeal, the internet has directions on how to make your own. That's what I had to do.)
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 cup cream style corn
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, optional
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

Directions:

In the bottom of a large glass bowl, place cornbread cubes. Layer beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and cheese on top of cornbread. Spread ranch dressing evenly over cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Directions for Cornbread:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Generously season a cast iron skillet with up to 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Preheat the pan either in the oven or on the stove over medium-high heat.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Pour batter into the preheated cast iron skillet. Place skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

(My bowl was a little small. I'm sure the layers would look nicer in a bigger trifle bowl.)

Fiesta Ware

Every time I visit West Virginia, I admire the Fiesta Ware that all my Beckett relatives use. And what would not be to love about colorful dinnerware that is actually made in my home state???? As much as I think it's all beautiful and as much as I think I need some when I'm seeing so much of it in St. Albans, I've always let my practical side remind me that I already own everyday dishes and I don't need more.

That reasoning always worked... until this February when I went back to stay with my Aunt Jan for a few days. Our meals were served on Fiesta Ware and every night the two of us would share ice-cream in Fiesta Ware mugs. I had to be trained on this nightly ritual. When Jan told me how she scoops her nightly portion as soon as she wakes up in the morning I eagerly set out to help her, only to find out I hadn't packed the ice-cream nearly tightly enough in the mug. Who would've thought someone so frail and thin would want to scarf down about a gallon of ice-cream packed into such a small space???

Events transpired this year such that my birthday got kind of lost in the shuffle of Emily's Yale career. Turns out she defended her doctoral thesis on the very day of my birthday. This was a thrilling family event that I wouldn't have missed for the world. I was more than happy to let Emily take center stage on the 20th but once I'd returned to San Diego, I now had the perfect excuse to help Martin buy me a birthday present that turned out to be...guess what?.... Fiesta Ware. Lots of it.

I worried that the practical side of me would feel guilty for chucking perfectly good dishes (read: give to Salvation Army) for all new Fiesta Ware...but I'm still waiting for that guilt to set in. Truth is, I LOVE using my new dishes and I even love looking at them in the cupboards. The colors make me happy and, more than that, I treasure the feeling of being part of the "cult" of Becketts and their Fiesta Ware.

Sometimes I even scoop ice-cream into a mug and eat it at 8:15 pm, just so I can feel kindredness with my sweet aunt. And I make sure to cram as much as I can into the mug!

Carrot Cake Roll

Ok, so I've been remiss in updating this blog. Let's all just get over it and carry on!

I made this roll for Easter dinner thinking I wanted to get the technique down before fall and time to make a pumpkin roll. Not that making a skinny cake and rolling it up is new or particularly difficult but it has been awhile since I did anything other than sheet or the easiest of layer cakes. Call me lazy!

Nothing about this was particularly challenging. I made it a day ahead and probably kept it in the moistened, powdered sugar towel too long because my roll consistency seemed wet with "gooey" sugar  glop on the top. The cake still tasted fine but next time I'd be more careful about letting the powdered sugar mix with the very moist cake.

I find that no matter how carefully I follow directions and no matter how gently I work with carefully trying to shape these kinds of cake, I will wind up with a tear somewhere. This can be very frustrating when you have visions of a picture perfect log of cake that will cause others to gasp at it's sheer beauty...but, in the final analysis, once you put on all the icing and slice the cake, no one is going to notice those slight imperfections. (I do however have clear memories of watching my two daughters both make perfect, tear-less Buche du Noels the last two Christmases. Not that I'm bitter!)

This was definitely very carrot cakey tasting and yummy.  I'd make it again.

Carrot Cake Roll
Courtesy of Crazyforcrust.com

3 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
2 cups shredded carrots (about 2 med. carrots)
Powdered sugar to aid in rolling
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 Tbs. butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (10X15) with foil and spray with cooking spray. I like to use the spray with flour. (And, while we're at this point in the recipe can I list one of my cooking peeves? I wish every pan would come with the dimensions clearly marked somewhere because I'm a terrible judge of measurements. I have a few jelly roll pans - one that is a hundred years old and a set of three identical new ones. Why three? Because they came as a set and were cheap! So, my old one is more longish and skinnyish than the newer ones but neither are marked with sizes. I finally got a tape measure to figure out that the newer ones would work best for this recipe. Would it kill manufacturers to put those numbers somewhere on the pans?????)

After you've had your measurement rant, beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, oil, and vanilla extract

Whisk together salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended. Stir in carrots.

Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11minutes.

While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.

Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour.

While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

When cake is cool, carefully unroll the towel. Spread the filling on the cake evenly, and re-roll tightly. Chill until it firms up a bit, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice and serve. Cake can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month.

Sour Cream Chicken

Yesterday was rainy and foggy from morning to night. Living only about 10 miles from the coast it's not unusual to see early morning fog or watch a marine layer seep through the hills as evening comes, but fog all day? That's not nearly so routine and, since I love the fog, something to be viewed as a rare treat. Add a steady rain and we have the makings of a perfectly cozy winter day.

As empty nesters, Martin and I often eat out on Saturday nights but I wanted to be home yesterday, hearing the rain fall on my patio roof and watching a blazing fire going in the fireplace. A good weather day like the one I've mentioned just can't be squandered hidden away in some artificially cheerful and busy restaurant, now can it???? I think not.

Given that we were staying indoors, I knew I wanted a homey comfort meal and this dish definitely qualifies. It's not something you'd serve the Crawleys or Granthams (yes, I'm a Downton Abbey addict and yes, I must slip in some references to this favorite show) should they decide to drop by for a bite to eat, but for me and the hubby it was a tasty addition to our quiet evening at home.

Not that all was peaceful - figuring out how to make this dish was a bit dicey. The recipe came from my BFF during a conversation wherein she told me her plans to make it yesterday and I decided to try the same dish for myself. Here's the deal about Cindy - when she talks you through a recipe over the phone she's very apt to leave out some of the steps involved; presumably because she feels what she's omitting is obvious to all but the most inept of cooks. Which would be me, apparently!

We had a similar incident Thanksgiving when she gave me a recipe for her version of sweet potatoes. Somewhere in the midst of my NUMEROUS calls trying to clarify her lack of instructions, she was heard to mournfully exclaim that she'd never give me another recipe. She repeated the same threat yesterday when I, once again, started up with the calls begging for clarification of her sketchy instructions. (Shhhh...don't tell her - some of the last calls and texts were made solely to mess with her mind a little. Cooking together can be such fun!)  I would be upset about this dire threat of no future recipe sharing if I didn't know that within a day or two, I'll be able to wheedle another recipe out of my forgiving and forgetting BFF!

Sour Cream Chicken Casserole

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter
1 pkg waverly crackers (the ones I found were actually called "club crackers")
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth (use the broth from cooking the chicken breasts)
paprika

Boil the chicken breasts, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Allow to cool and then cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Break up the crackers into largish pieces. I used a little over one sleeve. Cover the bottom of a 9X13 pan with these crackers. They should liberally cover the bottom of the pan. My BFF says you can have too much chicken in this recipe but you can't have too many of the crackers.
Melt the butter and pour it over the crackers. Stir the crackers around to spread the butter through all of the cracker mixture.
Put the chicken pieces on top of the crackers.
Mix the soup, sour cream and broth together. Pour this mixture over the chicken pieces and cracker layers. Do not stir this mixture once it's in the pan. You can use a large pancake turner or spatula to spread the mixture so it is evenly spread across the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the top layer begins to bubble at the edges. (Mine took longer to get a bubble.)
Before serving add some paprika for color.

(The cracker layer. I don't have a picture of the finished product and you should be glad about that. As I've hinted, this isn't a pretty dish but it does taste great.)

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

Christmas in Cincinnati meant plenty of good cooking from my daughter-in-law and her sister - with a few sides thrown in by Emily and even ole' Mom. One of the things Emily brought was a batch of brownie roll-out cookies. Actually, I think there might have been more than the batch for Tim and Joy as I distinctly remember a rather pretty box lying around, waiting to be mailed to a special friend and her hubby. Last I saw, those cookies were still being transported from condo to hotel to rental car to Tim's car...all in the hope of finally hitting up a post office and getting the proper postage for a flight to DC.

I really liked the texture and subtle taste of the cookies Emily brought so I came home and made my own batch. Mine had a slightly different flavor as I was missing an extra ingredient Emily had added to the ones she made; something that gave each cookie a nuanced taste of orange mixed with the chocolate. That variation was amazingly good but the original is pretty darned awesome, too.

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies
Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients
3 cups (375) grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
2/3 cup (55 grams) unsweetened cocoa
3/4 t. table salt
1/2 t. baking powder
16 T (225 grams or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl, and set aside. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl. Mix in vanilla. Gradually mix the dry ingredients. Wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.

Roll out cookie dough on a floured counter. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. (It does disappear once baked, though, so don't overly fret if they go into the oven looking white) Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8 inch cookies, the latter for 1/4 inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.