Baking Again!

I've spent a summer struggling to come to terms with limited mobility. It means that my cleaning of the kitchen is generally a 2-3 day affair as I can't stand for long periods of time nor do I want to be standing up and sitting down repeatedly. It does get a bit easier towards the end of the day but the pain in my knees and right hand is still uncomfortable. I'm having slow drain issues with the kitchen sink and I certainly don't have the money to have a plumber come out and spend a half day replacing those pipes. Add in the onslaught of ants and I really didn't want to be anywhere near the kitchen. It may be the heart of some people's homes but, in August, the less I had to be in there, the happier I was.

But you all know I love to cook and I feel I'm short changing myself when I don't cook. So this weekend, with the ants under control, I spent Saturday doing all the dishes to clear the counter and stove so I could cook on Sunday. I have a stack of recipes I want to try, everything from breakfast to main dish to dessert. I picked something easy off the pile, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.

 

They are ridiculously easy to make and the recipe made 18 for me although it clearly states it should only make a dozen. The cupcakes are topped with a butter, brown sugar and cinnamon mix to which you can add nuts but snickerdoodle cookies don't have nuts in them so I left that out. 

I have a problem with the oven. These are to bake for 25-30 minutes. I left them in only 25 minutes (My house smelled wonderful.) and I have about 4 or 5 where the bottoms are burnt. Daniel is going to faint dead away but I don't have an oven thermometer. I haven't had one in over a decade. Might be something to put on "ye olde Christmas list". But I think the heat in the oven is a not uniform. This is an odd temperature to bake at too, 375. Most baking is 350. 

I want to try this again only leaving them in for 20 minutes. They still taste wonderful, just like a cake version of the cookie. I tossed them in the freezer. They will be great for lunches and quick snacks.

I'm still not adding nuts to the topping, though. Real snickerdoodle cookies do not have nuts. 

Beverage:  English Breakfast tea

Deb