Celebrating Seasons

Bloggers who inspire us to make the best of what we have in creating a welcoming home and celebrating the best of the seasons are Melissa’s Inspired Room and Susan’s Naps On The Porch. Update: Seems like everyone enjoys a good fall themed party including Roeshel with the DIY Show Off and we were featured on Its So Very Cheri

Living in the southern hemisphere seasons are reversed but come September it does almost feel like Indian Summer in these parts, warm days and cool nights. A perfect time for whipping up a batch of cookies and doing a little crafting.

Maple Leaf Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

½ cup maple syrup

3 cups flour

(shift threw a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg if you like a little extra flavor)

Cream butter and sugar together before adding the maple syrup and then the egg yolk. Gradually shift the flour into the syrup & butter mix.Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill until firm.Pre heat your oven to 350F or 180C

Prepare your baking sheets, don’t we have too many options these days? silicone still leaves me confused, clay makes them crispy, parchment paper and good old butter on metal, take your pick.

Roll the chilled dough to about 1/8” thin. Maple leaf cookie cutter your leaves, get creative by drawing a knife lightly across them to mark veins. 8-10 minutes in the oven for smaller 3 inch cookies or 10-12 for larger 5 inch cookies. Bundle the scraps and chill again to get the most out of your dough.

Frosting (if you can’t get enough maple) ½ cup maple syrup and 2 cups of confectionary sugar should result in spreading or piping frosting. Exact proportion depends on humidity at your place.

And in honor of enjoying the season with quick and easy crafts what about this? Grab a leaf, if it is not colorful enough, a dab of paint or one of the fun new products like glimmer mist, let dry and mount into a pretty frame.

Life should be about having fun with family and friends and celebrating the best of the seasons which in my kitchen can include frangipani and maples all the same time zone. That is an inside joke for transeasonal multiple time zone operators.