Baking Experiment #1

 Yesterday I went shopping with my sister to buy cards and decorations for her daughter's 1st birthday party.  I cannot believe that little A is going to be 1!  Lucky tot gets to have a very thematic birthday, being born on Valentine's Day.  My sister - is going - bananas - with the theme!  As the master baker of the family, I obviously volunteered to bake tons of sweet treats for the party all appropriately heart shaped, red, pink, and yummy!  I've been making my other niece and nephew's birthday cakes, so how could I ever refuse!  Little A's first taste of cake is going to be very special one, coming from Aunt Cassie.  I'm in charge of making goodie bags for the children, which will be full of heart shaped sugar cookies decorated with their names, amazing salted chocolate chip cookies (courtesy of Jaques Torres), and a birthday cake that I have yet to design.  (After the party, I will post pictures, I promise!)

  I needed to pick up a sieve for my apartment, so my sister dropped me off at a local kitchen supply store on our way home.  Surprisingly enough, I got very distracted by the baking section and ended up purchasing an alphabet cookie cutter set.  Did I need this - No!  I find myself always picking up little tchotchkes when I visit kitchen stores.  But, nonetheless, I felt very inspired to make cookies.  I used to work at a cookie store throughout high school, and my penchant for decorating cookies emerges every now and again.  Last night, was the night!  I have a great sugar cookie recipe that I've been using for a few months now.  Sugar cookies have few ingredients, so they are pretty easy to make, but not fool-proof.  My goal of the evening was to add some complexity to these already perfectly simple cookies.  I wanted to find some sort of balance between the sweet candor of a sugar cookie and the warmness and spice of a gingerbread cookie.

Drum roll please....

Introducing - Cassie's Cakery's

Pumpkin Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies decorated with a Vanilla Honey Glaze

Although I thought they needed less flour and more sugar, my roommates approved!  I will have to say that the glaze was fantastic!  All in all, a successful baking experiment!