Eggsquisite Easter Cookies

Just back from a Florida vacation with (most of) my family. We were there to support our youngest daughter's marching band as they competed in DisneyWorld. Had a fabulous time, but I'm glad to be back and I'm now in the midst of planning Easter dinner here for a group of about 17 - 19 people. But before that - on Wednesday evening - I'm participating in "Bowls & Books" in Kenosha, WI. If you're in the area, please stop by my regular blog for more information. This is the 10th Annual Bowls & Books, a benefit for Rhodes Center for the Arts.

EGGSQUISITE EASTER COOKIES

Who says cookies are just for Christmas? Not me. I love cookies, and homemade

are the best of all. I found a version of this recipe in a magazine years ago and have modified it slightly to suit my family's tastes. The one thing I haven't altered is the inclusion of orange extract. That little zing makes these taste like spring. Very light, very sweet, these go great with a hot cup of coffee, not to mention how pretty they look on the table. Don't be dismayed by the fact that they need to be rolled out. Unlike some dough, this one behaves beautifully. Hardly fights back at all!

Egg-shaped Cookies

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, orange, milk, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients one spoonful at a time. You may need to add a teeny bit more milk, or just wait to add the milk as you add the dry ingredients. Makes the dough less likely to poof up and shoot flour at you when the mixer's going.

Roll dough out with floured rolling pin. Use cookie cutters or cut out desired shapes free-hand (which is what I've done with the egg shape). Bake on lightly greased cookie sheets for about 11 - 12 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Cool on rack.

Eggstremely Easy Icing

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup of milk (give or take)

2 tsp orange extract

Add milk to sugar a little at a time until you reach desired "icing" consistency. You may use a bit less than the full 1/2 cup. Add orange extract. Separate mixture into several smaller bowls and color with food coloring. I used yellow, pink, orange, and purple, and I kept a small batch of white for decoration. Have fun decorating. Allow these to dry -- set them on a pretty plate -- and enjoy!!

Julie

Egg-shaped cookies give me the perfect segue to talking about EGGSECUTIVE ORDERS... but instead, how about I suggest signing up for my newsletter? I'll be running a brand-new contest in my next newsletter in anticipation of the release of GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, the first in my new Manor of Murder Mystery series. Sign up today on my regular blog - here!

And your last chance to enter Jenn's contest is fast approaching... Jenn McKinlay’s Sprinkle with Murder is now out in bookstores! If you’d like to win cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop, send us an e-mail at MysteryLoversKitchen@gmail.com or leave a comment with your idea of the wackiest cupcake ingredients you can think of.