First Batch – Broken, Burnt and Dismembered

So there I was, covered in flour, sugar and who knows what else, but I admired my little collection of baked sugar cookies. They weren’t all that horrible. Only a few were so raw that they fell through the cooling rack, and only a handful were burnt so bad they had to be thrown away, and maybe there were a few horses and owls that were missing body parts, but they looked good. Or so I kept telling myself so I wouldn’t give up.

First batch that was usable, notice the bubbles, burnt unicorn horn and broken horse?

I must have made over 4 dozen on that first go ‘round. Trying different times in the oven, chilled before cooking but not after cutting, chilled before rolling and after cutting. Taking notes and writing the baking times on the parchment paper that the different batches were laying on.

I had Suzy Q on speed dial and started sending pictures and asking for advice, but it really was a trial and error kind of thing. You see, Suzy Q lives in Southern California, in a very hot and dry part of Southern California, and I live a mile from the water in Washington state. Ok, let’s be real, if you live in Western Washington, you’re almost always a mile from some kind of water. Our humidity levels and ambient temperatures were totally different and had very different effects on the cookies.

So if you are just trying your hand at the rolled and cut cookie thing, don’t be afraid to fail, or in my case, make that horse look like it’s straight out of The Godfather when the head falls off and that’s all you’re left to decorate.

Too mushy and collapsing? Try a minute more in the oven. Edges too burnt? Try a minute less. What I’m saying is don’t be afraid to fail. In the end, you will find your sweet spot and it will be something you can set your watch to, at least until the weather changes.

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