Gold Ring

With all the Christmas orders, many of them custom, I was on a roll and decided I wanted to make myself a little something. The custom skeleton key I did was too time-consuming for yesterday afternoon at 4pm with my workbench still full of unfinished orders, so I opted for a simple hammered 10k gold band. My first! And I am truly pleased with the result. Price is $169.

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

The Holidays are here and even though it's a wilting 102 degrees outside, I still had a craving for good, old-fashioned sugar cookies. These come out lovely and chewy and you can, of course, use any and all types of colored sugar to roll them in or to sprinkle on top after baking.

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

2 3/4C Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/4C Butter, softened
2C Sugar, Granulated
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4C Granulated or colored sugar for garnish

Combine flour, baking powder, salt. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into wet. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, roll in sugar. Refrigerate balls for 20 minutes or freeze until ready to bake.

Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges turn barely brown.

Cook's Notes: I don't flatten the cookies and I use parchment paper underneath.

*Photo courtesy cooksillustrated.com