sugar cookie mania

so, the 4th of july is coming up.. what are you taking to the family picnic? i know, i know; you're taking summer classes and can't even think about making some long and involved recipe. i feel your pain, and i have no intentions of giving a long and involved recipe! in fact, you could throw this together the morning of the 4th. so bookmark this page, get back to your homework, and check this again just so you can get the cookie dough at the grocery store.

oh... the best thing? this all uses ready-made cookie dough. i am just giving you clever add-ins so that people can't tell that it is store bought cookie dough! (and trust me, without the flavor add-ins, people know its store bought.)

ingredients:

1 large package sugar cookie dough (it has to be the kind that comes in the roll, not the kind that is already cut into cookies)

any of the add-ins that are in the list that i give you of cookie ideas


steps:

1) allow the cookie dough to come to room temperature (this might take about an hour- you want it very soft so the ingredients will mix in easily!)
2) add in the extra ingredients and stir the mixture together until well blended (this might require your hands!) See the instructions that belong with each cookie for further direction. then continue to step 3
3) drop the dough by the spoonful on a cookie sheet (look at the instructions on the dough package for the recommended size and placement of the cookies on the pan)
4) bake according to the package instructions


ideas for types of cookies to make (plus some extra instructions for each individual cookie):

- 1/4 c. pineapple juice and 1/4 c. coconut milk (you may need to add up to 1/4 c. of flour to this mix if it gets too runny to be solid, spoonable cookies)
- 1 tsp almond extract; roll these cookies into balls and roll through granulated sugar before baking. when finished, immediate press one piece of orange slice candy into the top of the cookie (the edges will crack a bit when you add the orange and press into the cookie)
- 1 c. mini M&Ms and 1/2 c. caramel bits
- 1 c. white chocolate chips and 1 c. dried cranberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (mix this in completely before you add the rest of the ingredients), 1 c. chopped pecans; shape the dough into balls and roll in a mixture of 1TBS cinnamon and 1TBS sugar. (this is just like pecan pie in a cookie!)
- 1/4 c. key lime juice (add flour little bits at the time if the consistency gets too runny), 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs; top with shredded coconut when the cookies have only 4-5 minutes left in the oven. after you have dropped them on the cookie sheet. the coconut will turn brown when it cooks! (this is just like a key lime pie!)
- 1/4 c. lemon juice, 1 TBS lemon zest (if you have it, if not it's okay), roll the cookies in powdered sugar before you bake


i hope these combinations help! and maybe with this as inspiration, you can come up with your own combinations, too! if you come up with something new, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!!

smoothie addendum:

(yes, i looked that word up before i used it....)

i have discovered a wonderful secret to make smoothies even easier! are you ready?

FROZEN FRUIT!! if you use frozen fruit, it thickens the smoothie and you don't have to add ice! so all of you with mini freezers in your mini fridges and don't have ice, pack a bag of frozen fruit in there and you can use that instead! my favorite right now is a peach berry smoothie:

i use one carton (6 oz) of plain (non-flavored) yogurt, a large handful of frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries-- they come mixed together) and 2 large handfuls of frozen peaches, and a splash of apple juice. blend until smooth! YUM!

another great recipe, if you are feeling tropical:

one carton (6 oz) of pineapple coconut yogurt (danon light n fit has this flavor; this is the brand i use), one large banana, one handful of frozen peaches, and a splash of orange juice. blend until smooth, and imagine yourself on the beach! (even if you are stuck inside studying...)

enjoy; i know i do!!