Glazed Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe

There are SO many cookie recipes out there. Some are incredibly complex. Some use gourmet ingredients. Some are gorgeous works of art. Some require a culinary degree to create. Some will send you into a sugar coma after two bites.

But sometimes, you just want a simple, yummy cookie. Something that won't upstage your designer coffee. No frills. Just simple goodness.

This is one of those cookie recipes. Simple. Tasty. Healthy-ish. Whole wheat. 8 ingredients.

What are you waiting for?

Glazed Brown Sugar Cookies

by Raye

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9-11 minutes

Keywords: bake cookie

Ingredients (2 dozen)

Cookie

• 1-1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 c. organic whole cane sugar, such as Rapadura or sucanat (or a free-flowing brown sugar)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp coconut oil (in solid state)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

• 1/4 c. organic whole cane sugar, such as Rapadura or sucanat
• 1 Tbsp whole milk (or more, if needed)

Instructions

• Cream together coconut oil and organic whole cane sugar. Mix in vanilla and egg.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Chill for 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• After at least 1 hour, preheat the oven to 375*F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls (approximately 1 rounded teaspoon; .75 oz ea).
• Arrange cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 375*F for 9-11 minutes, or until edges are set. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the pan. They will look under-done when you take them out of the oven - that's ok! They will finish cooking and set up perfectly as they cool on the pan.
• While cookies are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, combine milk and organic whole cane sugar. If the glaze seems too thick, add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches a 'drizzle-able' consistency. (Note, you can sub in a non-dairy milk here, if desired)
• Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies; allow glaze to dry. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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30 Before 30 Update: Jan/Feb 2014 Edition

Wow. It's been a whirlwind couple of months. I decided to take a little time off around the holidays, then one thing turned into another and I realize it's been quite a while since I did any blogging. I was just telling my friend Beka, how do other mom bloggers find the time to post regularly? I apparently haven't found the groove yet.

This doesn't mean I've just been lazing around the house in my jammies, though. I've got several things to share, some DIY projects, a couple of recipes...

I was asked to fill in for the regular pianist at church in February. I was a little nervous at first, but it went well and I felt pretty confident after I got into it. It was nice to be involved and feel like I was contributing to the service!

(hee hee hee, my toes are in the corner there)

In the meantime, check out my quilt!  I started quilting the layers together in January and my frame broke after about 1 square, so I'm waiting for my replacement frame to come in the mail so I can continue on that. The end is in sight!  A major project to check off my 30 Before 30 list!

In other creative news, I'm almost caught up with Ry Guy's baby book (this super cute CM album) and I healthified another recipe from my file as part of the Great Recipe File Makeover. Molasses cookie recipe coming your way this week.

I've kept up with my reading.  Since Christmas, I've read the following books:

The Ry Guy Report: 8 Months

Weight 18.25 lbs

Length 26 inches

Milestones

• Legs are becoming stronger everyday! Loves to stand up in his exersaucer.
• Can scoot himself backwards on the floor (no crawling yet!)
• Teething.

Likes

• Bananas.
• Taking blocks out of a bucket.
• Chewing on his thumb.
• Bathtime.

Dislikes

• Strangers.
• Sudden, loud noises.

The Quotable Ry Guy Happy squeaks!!! He loves the sound of his own voice.

Molasses Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

Food is so intertwined with memories for me. I smell these cookies baking and I'm instantly transported back in time to my mom's tiny kitchen, helping her roll out molasses cookies and spoon in the homemade mincemeat filling. YUM. The warm spices combined with the sweet molasses cookies are a perfect combination and a perfect treat for a cold, blustery, winter day.

The Ry Guy Report: 7 Months

Weight  18.25 lbs

Length  25.75 inches

Milestones 

• Learning object permanence
• Teething
• Showing signs of separation anxiety
• Sits unsupported
• Eating first foods
• Spins himself in a circle when placed on his tummy (no forward motion yet)

Likes

• Eating!
• Variety
• The piano
• Sitting up
• Being with Mommy
• Chewing on his thumb

Dislikes

• Sleeping
• Not being able to see Mommy
• Sitting still
• Having his face wiped

The Quotable Ry Guy I thought for sure he said Mama a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard it since. Wishful thinking, I guess. He mostly just squeals, hums, or babbles.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

I love me a good cupcake! What I don't love is cupcake remorse. You know, that "Crud.... how many minutes of cardio do I have to do to work that off?" kind of remorse.

What's a cupcake loving, cardio loathing girl to do?  Work smarter, not harder.

Ok, so I'll be the first to admit, this recipe is not calorie free, fat free, sugar free or taste free. Or anything free for that matter. You will probably still need to do cardio to burn it off.

BUT, it's a healthier, more "real food" alternative if you're looking for a sweet treat. And man alive, does it deliver!

The recipe below is for just the cupcake part. You can frost it with your personal fave. I am in love with German Buttercream (shown here), so if you'd like to give that a try, pop over to my recipage to get the scoop on my Cinnamon Brown Sugar German Buttercream.

I also decided to go all fancy-schmancy and garnish these puppies with some cinnamon sugared pecans. Pretty easy. I tweaked this recipe here for those. (Just did the topping, swapped coconut oil for butter.) Impressive taste and presentation for practically no work. Gotta love that.

Don't you just want to dive in?

Cupcake remorse optional.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

by Raye

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22-25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert pumpkin cupcake fall winter

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Ingredients (15 cupcakes)

• 3/4 c. cake flour (or all purpose flour)
• 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 c. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 c. organic whole cane sugar, sucanat or free flowing brown sugar
• 3/4 c. coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin cups with paper liners or grease well.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• In a large bowl, cream together coconut oil (in solid state) and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with the pumpkin, beginning and ending with the pumpkin.
• Divide batter equally between muffin cups, filling each cup approximately 3/4 full.
• Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
• Cool completely before icing. Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Stuffing a Thrifty Stocking

We decided to do stocking stuffers for our family Christmas gathering this year.  This is the first time since I've been married that 1.) we're celebrating the holidays with family instead of hither and yon in some hotel room, and 2.) we're doing stockings.

Typically, stocking stuffers at my house growing up consisted of CANDY, a few fun items, and a few practical items (think toothbrush, chapstick, etc.).  M's family was the same way. But, now we're all grown up and can't rely on lifesaver books (remember those?!), chocolate coins, and candy canes to fill up the stockings.

Although, I wouldn't be opposed to candy... hint, hint!

Here's a few suggestions for stuffing a thrifty stocking:

1. Check out the Dollar Store
 They often have nice items for (you guessed it!) $1.  Our Dollar Tree offers brand name cosmetics, bath salts, fuzzy socks, and travel size hair products, as well as a few craft supplies (such as stickers, ribbon, die cuts, and stamp pads).