Cookies...and surprises

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Blogging is awesome. If you don't know that, you should.
Bloggers are even more awesome.
Scientific fact.


 Kelly is one of my awesome blog friends. She and her husband-of-the-year Andy and her cute-as-can-be son Weston are going to be a family of four. 
Little Girl is coming soon!

Kelly is unbelievably talented, funny, and sweet so I was thrilled to participate in her virtual baby shower today.

I knew immediately I wanted to whip up a delicious cookie recipe, so I grabbed some eggs and butter and got to work.

***
I pause to share a very important lesson with you.
Much like the important parenting lessons Kelly and Andy will embark upon w/ two little ones (Ha, like I know.)
The point: Ingredient freshness is key. Do not underestimate this baking point.
Yours truly did and the results now lie at the bottom of a trash can.
(FYI - if organic un-salted butter is on sale, check the date. There's probably a reason.)


I didn't bake these amazing cookies but Heather Baird {Sprinkle Bakes} did, and she's way cooler than I am anyway.
Plus, I mean can these be more perfect?
Pink, sparkly, strawberry & milk goodness.
I think not.

Cookies are my favorite.
Always.

Not cake.
Not ice cream.
Not candy.
Not pie.

No.
Give me cookies.


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Strawberry Milk Whoopie Pies
Recipe via Sprinkle Bakes

Yield: 30-40 whoopie pie shells Make the shells: 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour1 1/2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt8 tbsp. white vegetable shortening room temperature3/4 cup powdered strawberry milk drink mix - such as Nesquick brand.1/2 cup brown sugar1 whole egg1 egg white1 cup heavy cream2 tbsp milk1 tsp. baking soda1 tsp white vinegar 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper3. In a bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder, set aside.4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine vegetable shortening, strawberry milk powder and brown sugar. Mix until crumbly.5. Add the egg and egg white, to the mixture and beat well, then add the heavy cream; mix until smooth.6. In a small condiment cup, combine milk, baking soda and vinegar. Stir well, mixture will foam.7. Pour baking soda mixture into the batter first and then pour flour mixture in on top. Mix on low speed until thick and combined. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and mix again until well combined.8. Transfer mixture to a piping bag or a large zip-top sandwich bag with the corner snipped off.9. Pipe batter into heaped 2" rounds widely spaced on the baking sheet - about 6 cakes to a pan.10. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Be careful not to over bake. Cakes are done when they just start to turn golden around the edges. Fill the shells:3 cups confectioners' sugar1 cup unsalted butter - softened.1 tsp. vanilla extract.1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 2. Beat on low speed until just combined, then whip at high speed until light and fluffy.Note: Sweetened whipped cream is also a very good filling for these pies. Decorate the shells :2 tbsp. milkConfectioner's sugarSprinkles1. Pour milk into a small bowl.2. Add confectioners' sugar a tablespoon at a time while whisking constantly until thickened to piping consistency. 3. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain piping tip. I used Wilton #4. 4. Pour sprinkles on a plate and dip decorated cake top in the sprinkles, brushing the excess away - or sprinkle nonpareils over tops of cakes, letting the excess fall in the plate.

If you wanna see what some of the other bloggers brought to the party then head on over to Skye {neathering our fest} or Erin's {his and hers} blog for the complete list. Thanks again ladies for doing such a great job of putting this together.

Congrats Kelly, Andy, and Weston!
Much love and best wishes for your soon-to-be family of four!!

Three cheers for (other people's) babies.
And cookies. Always cookies. :)








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