Gideon bakes (mostly mama bakes)

I'm not sure what is going on with me these days, but I decided to do another messy activity with Gideon yesterday.  Easter egg sugar cookies.  Let's blame it on the weather.  That warm breeze blowing in will do that to a person.  This one was much more of a success than painting.  He enjoyed this mess and didn't even mind touching it, and moving it to his mouth for a taste was an added bonus.

So here is what we did...

These are dairy-free, by the way.  HOOTY HOO!  You will need:

1 1/2 cup xxx sugar (that means powdered sugar.  my mama had to tell me that.  disaster averted)

1 cup margarine (or butter if you want the dairy)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tarter

I decided not to test my luck and went ahead and got the mixing going before putting it on Gideon's level to help.  I think we will save the pouring in of ingredients for an eighteen month activity?  He stuck his fingers in it and when he thought I wasn't looking would put some in his mouth.  Yelling ensued because all I kept thinking was salmonella or E. coli and I have already cleaned up my diarrhea quota for this year.

I also had to call my mom because it wasn't mixing up well.  It just stayed powdery at first and she suggested using my hands to mix it.  It worked!

This blurry mess of a photo is a warning, lest ye be so stupid as to say the word "cookie" around a toddler before they are ready to be eaten.  He saw the dough going into the fridge and had a nervous breakdown.  There were tears, clearly.  Stomping of feet and all the good stuff.

My mama bought me a rolling pin for Christmas.  The horror that I didn't have one was just too much.  I mainly wanted it to crush Oreos for Oreo balls, but cookies will do.  I also took Gideon to the store and let him pick between the Easter egg cutter or a bunny and chick.  He made a wise decision.

I'm pretty sure he was kissing the oven.  Coaxing it to hurry up with those cookies.  Oh yea, and you bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.  Our oven is a ninja so it only took seven.

For the frosting:

2 cups xxx sugar (see my baker speech coming out.  I'm such a pro)

1/2 tsp of vanilla

mix in milk (I used Almond milk to keep it dairy-free) until you like the consistency.  I caution you here to start slow with one or two tsp.  I went with too much too fast and while decorating I realized it was much too runny.

Add food coloring for desired colors

My junior decorator turned to sampler while I was busy.  I seriously looked up and he had half a cookie gone.  And these are big cookies.  

I put the frosting in a sandwich baggie and clipped off the corner to decorate.  And there is the runny mess of frosting.  Gorgeous, right?  Can I blame my toddler even though he did not decorate a single one?  Yep, we will go with that story.

But, they kinda look cute once they dry and they taste amazing.