Christmas Smells Sweet

This rainy afternoon I went and baked Christmas cookies with a friend. She lives in one of those amazing homes with crown molding, old hardwood floors, a cozy sage-green clad kitchen--home to two baby bunnies and a pup named Taquito-- and fantastic windows. We baked shortbread and coffee cookies, decorated sugar cookies and munched on cheese, crackers, prosciutto and raspberries.

It was lovely to talk with the girls and not have to make mocha backups or Caramel Macchiatos. To have an intelligent conversation without stopping for a costumer or a coffee timer. I made these cookies and they turned out great! I changed the recipe a little at the end, and dipped them in dark chocolate.

Coffee Bean Cookies

ingredients:

2 tsp instant coffee (please use Starbucks VIA)

2 tbsp milk

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

process:

1. Combine the coffee crystals and milk. Stir until the coffee crystals are dissolved; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, vanilla, and milk-coffee mixture. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in four with the mixer.

3. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

4. Shape dough into 1 -inch balls. Shape each ball into an oval. Press the thin edge of a wooden spoon into the top of each so they resemble coffee beans. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned.

Their bunnies names are Asterisk and Ampersand, how lovely is that?