Cookie Recipe #52 - Cinnamon Animal Crackers

These are similar to the animal crackers you begged for in the grocery store when you were little-whether you really liked the cookies or you just wanted the box they came in. They almost taste like graham crackers with a slight, not over-powering cinnamon flavor. The recipe suggests you use 1-1 1/2 inch cookie cutters, but you can also use bigger ones, just bake a couple minutes longer.

Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, frozen, 3 tablespoons whole milk, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, raw sugar for sprinkling, assorted 1 -1 1/2 inch animal-shaped cookie cutters. (I didn't freeze my butter, but took it directly out of a cold refrigerator-worked fine; I also used 2% milk rather than whole.)

Instructions: Place the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (I used my hand mixer.) In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, honey and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours (or up to 3 days). (I left my dough right in the bowl I mixed it in, covered it with plastic wrap and chilled-me and the dough!).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (not necessary for non-sticking ones). On lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough with a floured rolling pin to an 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with flour-dipped cutters and arrange on baking sheets, about 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining scraps of dough. Sprinkle cookies with raw sugar (or sprinkles) and pop into the oven. Bake about 5 minutes, longer for bigger cookies. Cookies should be slightly puffed and lightly browned and still soft. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely; cookies harden as they cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Makes 6-7 dozen depending on size of cutters.

(The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2002)

Cookies Rule!!!