Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday Food: Cake and Cookies


I simply love cooking with my kids. I don't always make time to do it but when I do, I enjoy every minute and I take lots of pictures. This week we had an abundance of excuses to make goodies. My 7 year-old had a cub scout dinner mid-week. There was a dessert competition. We made a snake cake. Valentine's day is around the corner. We decided to make heart cookies for my 2nd son's preschool class. I was thrilled (beyond excited) to find an old recipe this week for Frosted Sugar Cookies. I got the recipe about 7 years ago when we lived in Virgina and then it got misplaced somewhere along the way (we have lived in 3 states since then!). The recipe was perfect for the Valentine cookies!

Snake Cake
We made a chocolate cake (and tucked in some chocolate chips, of course) in a bundt pan. Then, we cut the bundt cake in half and arranged it like a snake. My son decorated it with icing, mini-vanilla wafers, skittles, and dot candies. The eyes were blue gum balls and the tongue was a fruit roll-up.
(I think our snake looked more like a caterpillar. The boys just loved it, though.)




JA's Frosted Sugar Cookies

Cookies
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp soda
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar

Mix all ingredients well and roll out on board. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. (Don't let edges get too brown.)

Frosting:
1/2 cup of softened butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 T milk

Mix all ingredients well (if too stiff, add a bit more milk). Color as desired with food coloring and frost cookies when they have cooled.


9 comments:

More Than Words said...

Ohhhhhh!! That's how you did the snake cake!!!!!!!!!!

I will definitely have to try that one day too!!

Trisha said...

Sounds a little bit like what I am doing today!

Anonymous said...

I've been looking for a good sugar cookie recipe AND I was wondering how you made the snake/caterpillar cake. My mind went in the direction of the bundt cake pan, but I'm not a geography gal, so I couldn't take that extra step of imagination that would have led me to cutting and flipping it for the curves.

Brilliant!

And adorable!

Thanks for jumping in with Food on Fridays!

He & Me + 3 said...

Yes, cooking with the kids is so much fun. Mine love it. That cake is so adorable. Love it!

3 Bay B Chicks said...

Your snake cake is amazing. What a fun treat for both you and your kids to share, Jane Anne. And the fact that it is covered in bright green frosting makes it even more enticing!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your family. Enjoy eating all of those yummy cookies I am seeing.

-Francesca

PS: If there are any leftovers, feel free to send them my way!

Carey-Life in the Carpool Lane said...

So sweet...love the pictures of your boys decorating. And thanks for sharing the recipes...everything looks yummy! I'm pondering a snake cake for my youngest's bithday now!

Elaine at Matters of the Heart) said...

Oh goodness, how cute is that? The cake was so cute. Loved the face you little guy was making in that last photo.. I bet you can't wait for the little miss to be able to help.

McCrakensx4 said...

Trying to catch up on my blogging! Great week you had and the cake and cookies look so yummy! Every time I try to make sugar cookies, they burn. Yours look so pretty! And the list of things you could not so without...now that was a list and there are some things on that list that I could not do without either!! Happy Heart Day!
~Stacey

Anonymous said...

I'm moving in with you...it looks like fun around there! The snake cake is way too cool!

I found you from Ann's Food on Fridays.