I am currently in the holiday state of mind, ready to slip on my flip-flops, bikini, slap on the suntan oil and spend the day on the sand with a good book and a frilly looking cocktail. Here on the Equator, we’re lucky enough to have constant holiday weather, but I’ll do you one better: we’re headed to the beautiful North Island of New Zealand next week for a family holiday!
It’ll be my first time there, and I’m not entirely sure what kind of clothes I need to pack… for warm weather, chilly weather or just beach clothes. Guess a cardigan or two wont harm me.
The best part about going to New Zealand, though? I get to meet with Kirstie and Tegan, two friends I’ve known for a very long time from SnitchSeeker, and I’m contemplating bringing my ratty old SS t-shirt just to make it easier for them to spot me in a crowd. We’ll see how these visits go, I’m so excited!
The other thing I thought of when I heard we’d be going away for a week was: Ohmigosh, I can’t leave my blog for a week! I’d lose any readership I had managed to gain in the past few months! lol yes, it is a very real worry for me. So I’ve figured out a solution… you’ll see.
Anyway, let’s continue with the festive themed treats, today I bring you the very simple, and yet sinfully sweet and pretty Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies. I used a recipe from Paula Deen, with very small tweaks (maybe cos I don’t read instructions well and was too lazy to buy ingredients).
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red colouring
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 110g butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 180C and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, beat the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time
- Add buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and colouring and beat until incorporated
- Once the wet mixture is fully combined, add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated (gotta find another word for combined, incorporated…)
- Drop the dough onto the cookie sheet in teaspoonful amounts, or if you have a small ice-cream scoop that’s even better. Space the dough roughly 2 inches away from each other cos trust me, babeh, these will spreaaad.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until fully baked through, and allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to the cooling rack to allow it to cool completely. Is the word cool starting to sound funny to you?
- For the frosting: beat cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy (use a hand mixer), then add vanilla, beat for a bit more, then add the sugar 1/2 a cup at a time.
- Once the cookies have cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting between them and ENJOY!
Ellebug 