Vanilla Cookies

So Christmas and the whole holiday season is over and everyone's back at work. It's January, it's miserable and it's getting colder once again. Sad faces all around.

Although it feels like so long ago now, it was so nice to have time off over Christmas and New Year and see lots of friends and spend time with my family. I didn't actually end up cooking as much stuff as I would have liked as time ran away from me and before I knew it the day was here and I wad back at work. A lot of my time recently has also been taken up by a certain new man in my life, Otis. 

Anyone that knows me will know that my favourite things in the world are food and dogs and I've been the happiest girl in the world since we decided a few months ago to get a new dog after our beautiful old boy, Gus, died 3 years ago. We got Otis just a week before Christmas and surprised everyone at my Grandparents house on Christmas day as my mum walked in with him in her arms. Granny couldn't be angry for long as who can stay mad at this face?

So you can see why I've been ever so slightly distracted as of late. But anyway, back to the food side of things and a simple cookie recipe with a little twist. I got the stamp as a Christmas gift form my sister and just needed an excuse to try it out! I think it makes these tasty treats even harder to resist, don't you agree?

I hope to have lot's more exciting recipes for 2013 and to try to keep blogging as much as possible!


Ingredients:
250g butter
140g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
300g plain flour
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract

To Make:

• Preheat oven to 190C and grease two baking trays.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
• Add the sugar and salt.
• Mix in butter and blend until crumbly texture.
• Add the egg yolk and vanilla and stir thoroughly until the dough comes together.
• Chill i the fridge for 1 hour.
• Roll into balls about the size of golf balls.

• Flour work surface and stamp.
• Flatten dough balls slightly and then press with the stamp.

• Place onto greased trays and bake for 6-8 minutes.
• Leave to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to cooling wrack to cool completely.