Rainy Day Cookies

The weather has been poor all week, kind of on the cool side, windy and rainy. Today seemed to be the worst weather of all, so bad,in fact, that we did not want to leave our house. So what do you do on rainy summer days? Normally on rainy days you will find me in my kitchen, with the smells of chocolate and spicy cinnamon surrounding me and wafting through the entire house, enticing the children and warming and soothing my soul.

There is something about the comfort of baking yummy treats that soothes me like nothing else - the mixing, the pouring, the sweet and spicy smells, it warmth coming from the oven, and the way everyone in the house, even the dogs, start to gravitate towards the kitchen.

Today I made two stand by favorites - Double Chocolate Espresso Fudge Ice Cream Sandwiches and Snickerdoodles. We to cheer up our cranky moods and the second to bring comfort and calm (honestly, I have a cookie every feeling under the sun and will take almost any opportunity to bake up a batch!).

Double Chocolate Espresso Fudge Ice Cream Sandwhiches:

1 ¼ cup Margarine
2 cups Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs

1 ½ tsp Instant espresso powder
¾ cup Cocoa, shifted
2 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Salt
1 – 2 cups Chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)

Vanilla ice cream


Cream together margarine and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well, until fluffy. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips and mix together until incorporated. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake at 350 F for 8 minutes (or until the outsides are done and the center is just about set – do not over bake your cookies if you want them chewy, if you want them crispy cook for an additional 2 minutes).

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 – 3 minutes before removing them and let them sit for an additional 5 minutes. In the mean time, grab the ice cream from the freezer.

Take two warm cookies and put a scoop of ice cream in between. Eat some place that is easy to clean, the warm cookies starts to melt and soften the ice cream - yummy!

This is guaranteed to cheer up just about anyone and is a good celebration cookie as well (I often make these to celebrate the kids first day back at school – but I make them while they are gone, while I dance gleefully to loud music around my kitchen!)!

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Snickerdoodles

½ cup Butter
½ cup Shortening
1 ½ cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs

2 ½ cup Flour
2 tsp Cream of tartar
1 tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp Salt

Topping:
2 tbsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Sugar

Cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

Form into small balls and roll in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for 8 – 10 minutes.

These are best enjoyed with a cup of tea, guaranteed to sooth frazzled nerves and help bring you a sense of calm.

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Related Posts:

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Mocha Meringues

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Carrot Spice Cake

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Enjoy,

Christine
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This post is linked to Family Fridays, Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday , Recipe Swap and Food on Fridays