Cookie day

Another bird

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It was a sunny morning but looks can be deceiving.  No walk outside today - it was a chilly 2 below zero.  So once more it was an inside walk.

I had some of those heart shaped cookies I made for the kids at church a couple of weeks ago left in the freezer.  Some of the icing was left too in the refrigerator and this morning I tried my hand at icing them again.  I thinned the icing and though they aren't perfect, I did a lot better job on them this time.  Ken thought so too and ate a couple of them right away.  : )

It was a day for cookies.  I also made the Black and White cookies and I'm pleased to say they turned out great.  Easy to make too.  Here they are ready for the oven.

 17 minutes later they came out looking like this.

 Once cooled they are turned over and the flat side is iced.

 We couldn't wait for snack time this evening to taste one so we shared one right away.  Oh my are they so good.  I think better even than the one from Brenda's.

New York Black and White Cookies

Ingredients
For Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg

For Black and White icing

• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon clear corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon water (approx)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions
Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
• In small bowl or cup, mix together buttermilk and vanilla.
• Beat butter and white sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes or until it's evenly distributed.
•  Add egg to butter and sugar mixture, and beat until blended.
• Gradually beat in flour mixture one cup at a time, and add in buttermilk mixture  between each cup of flour, and mix until smooth.  It will be necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.
• Spoon batter in 1/4 cup size servings onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  (I used the quarter cup scoop from Pampered Chef and made 7.
• Bake on middle rack for about 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched.
• Place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing

• Stir together icing sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon of water in bowl until smooth.
• Place half of mixture into separate bowl and add cocoa powder, and remaining water bit by bit until it is the same consistency as the white icing.  If the icing is too runny, add more icing sugar until it is smooth and spreadable.
•  Turn cooled cookies flat side up, and spread icing - half with white icing and half with chocolate.

The icing does not set solid on these cookies, and does not harden, but it dries enough to be wrapped as they are sold in the city. They can be wrapped individually in cellophane, or sealed in a plastic container.

Yesterday we had chicken for dinner and this evening I made Chicken A La King with the left over chicken.  It had been years since I made that.  My kids used to love it.  It was very good and something different for a change.

Thanks for all the kind words about the scarf I knitted.  It was really easy and fun to do. 
That's about it for today.
Hope your day has been a happy one.
happyone : )

How beautiful a day can be
when kindness touches it.
~ George Elliston

Update on my Mom:

They met with 4 surgeons and it was decided that my Mom would go ahead with the open heart surgery.  The prognosis is good and she should be fine.  Her surgery will probably be the end of March.  It is in God's hands and we will trust Him.