Mickey Shortbread Cookies ... Baking with Little A

Baking with my girl…..

Foodie nerds that we are, we watch a lot of the cooking competition shows and evil parents that we are we make the kids watch with us. As much as they will tell you the contrary they actually like watching them with us, especially “Master Chef Junior”. Little A is convinced that she is going to be on the show  “When I'm really big, like 8 or something.”

 I figure it’s time to let her start helping in the kitchen. What better project for a three year old then cookies? We made some fantastic shortbread cookies (mickey shaped of course!) and little A did a ton of the work. They turned out SO yummy! Who knows maybe she will be berated by Mr. Ramsey in a few years.

Shortbread Cookies (Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe)

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Directions
 

Mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour and salt, (I use Martha’s trick of mixing them up with a Wisk instead of sifting!) then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a shaped cutter of your choice (I like mickey!). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

                       Enjoy!!