Sitting Pretty

I've been baking and cooking up a storm while waiting anxiously for the holidays, trying to pass the time and yet also trying to finish everything I have to do each day before I run out of steam. Here are the better late than never photos of Myra in her Halloween costume!!

Bzz Bzz Bzzz!

 

She really liked everyone Bzzz-ing at her all day!

 She's finally able to sit up unaided (though getting to that position and maintaining interest in it are a little tricky) Here's some shots of her sitting pretty:

Great cord for teething, says Myra, thanks ma!

Though this chirpy chick is delicious as well.

As you can see, she needs something to chew if she's going to stay upright, because otherwise she topples forward in search of things to eat. Like these delicious Eggnog Spritz I made yesterday!

Really, they taste just like Eggnog. Amazing.

 I ate way too much dough - as usual - and didn't really want to chow down on the finished product, but they're tasty-shmastey. The cookie is spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger and the drizzled with vanilla-rum icing.

You can make them too! Here's the recipe:

Eggnog Spritz

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon,
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water (start with this and keep adding some until it's the right drizzley-consistency)
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, water, and rum extract until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.

**Important!!**
There has been a considerable amount of feedback saying the cookies are "too sticky for the press" This leads me to believe that some people have been actually melting the butter, instead of softening it. To soften fridge butter, microwave it at short bursts of about 5-8 seconds, checking each time if it's getting too smooshy. It should be the consistency of butter that has been left out on the counter during a warm day, soft but not at all liquid!!!