The BESTEST Sugar Cookies EVER!!!

I promise these are the BEST Sugar Cookies, and the EASIEST that I have ever, ever ,ever made!!!!!

courtesy of Southern Living (with my slight tweak)

(sorry no plain cookie pics, forgot)

1 Cup butter, softened

1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste

( use good vanilla extract if you don't have the paste, but I PROMISE its worth searching for-- You can order it at specialty grocery stores)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups, unbleached all purpose flour

(again unbleached my prefrence, you can used regular flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

--you will also need parchment paper and rolling pin--

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Beat butter and vanilla ( at this point you can use whatever flavoring you like to substitute for the vanilla, for example in the SouthernLiving recipe they used Lemon Zest) with a heavy duty mixer until creamy.
3. Combine flour and salt,mix well.
4. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating until just blended. Shape dough into a disc.
5. Gradually add in sugar, beating well. 
6. Roll dough into 1/8 thickness on a lightly "floured" surface. ( in the case of sugar cookies, use the powdered sugar as if it is flour for the purpose of keeping dough from sticking. ie-use it to dust your dough, your rolling pin, your surface,etc...)
7.  Cut out whatever shapes with your cookie cutters and place on parchment lined baking sheets approx 1/2inch apart.
8. Bake for 12-14 min. or until edges are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 min. then transfer to wire racks to cool completely( about 20 min.)
9. Decorate as desired!!!! Go crazy- decorate however you wish!!!!

Pizza Roll

 (DOUGH MADE USING: Master Recipe from Aritsan Bread in 5 min a day)

Ok, I have to admit this one came out of a total disaster. So I am pretty excited to post it!

So last night was pizza night at our house.  I was pretty sick with a cold, and of course I forgot to buy cornmeal to make my dough not stick. So when I went to put the pizza from board to oven.....NO GO. TOTALLY STUCK!!

OMG!

DISASTER. It was awful...

SO I just started rolling.....

And this is what we came up with:

PIZZA ROLLS- my kids new fav meal ever!

If you have made the dough ahead this recipe come together SO FAST

and SO EASILY,

and is SO SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

and there are SO MANY POSSIBILITIES and VARIATIONS!!!!!

1. Make the dough according to Artisan Bread in 5 min a Day Master Recipe

(just click on link to find recipe for dough)

for basic pizza roll you will need:

1. 
   
   1 can pizza sauce,
2. 
   
    1 cup mozzerella,
3. 
   
   1/2 cup asiago,
4. 
   
    1 cup parmesan,
5. 
   
   1/2 cup romano,
6. 
   
   shredded basil ( 1/4C)
7. 
   
   4 cloves garlic, micro diced and sauted.
8. 
   
    cantelope sized portion of the dough.

(this will make 2 pizzas)Let the Dough REST for 40 MIN. -when you pull the dough out of the fridge, have the bowl you are going to let the dough rest pre-oiled with some olive oil. You will also want to have your hands coated with EVOO because the Dough is VERY STICKY! Make the dough into a nice ball by pulling it under and turning a 1/4 turn each time until you have a nice ball. Now you let it rest for the 40 min.

• 
  
• 
  
  Preheat oven, with baking stone to 550 degrees.                                                                  
• 
  
  Place the dough on a well oiled surface to roll it out. Roll it into a rectangle.   Try to keep it even, not too thin, not too thick either.
• 
  
  Place thin layer of tomatoe sauce (one you made or store bought) on pizza dough,             leaving the end you will be rolling towards and about 2 inches on each side bare.
• 
  
  Add ingredients (be rather sparce here, don't want to overstuff) Add cheeses. I really think fresh grated romano, asiago, parmesans all blended together are the best combo here. (this is where your imagination is the limit, with ingredients to stuff and cheeses)
•  Last step, roll up dough longest side that is full of sauce, toppings towards side that has the 2in border. Roll it as tight as you can. When you get to the end, tuck each end under. 
• Now transfer this roll to the steaming hot baking stone in your oven. ( I always roll mine out on a board, (or  you could use a flat cookie sheet)  so that it will slide off easily into the oven).

Bake for 5 min.
Reset temp in oven to 450 and continue to bake for 25min.
Let sit for atleast 15 min, longer if you can stand it, before you cut into this. 


My KIDDO LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS ONE!!!!!   WOW!
They say they never want me to make regular pizza again, just pizza rolls from now on mommy!