The Art of Imitation

 Can someone please explain to me why I can let cakes upon cookies upon brownies go in and out of my oven without even licking my fingers or sneaking a crumb and then I get around those soft sugar cookies with frosting and mountains of chemicals found at your local grocery store and I go weak at the knees?  It's really quite sad.  I always want to justify it by saying, "But looook, it's red and green for Christmas and Christmas only happens once a year so I have to get them. Oh looook orange and black for Halloween, Halloween only happens once a year I have to get them. Oh loooook blue and grey for national whale week, national whale week only happens once a year so I have to get them."  (OK, they don't really have national whale week cookies and I am not really sure a national whale week even exists, but you get the picture...)  What I am trying to say is those less than natural cookies are the bomb.  So, it was time to try to make them at home.  Difference?  This recipe with no-chemicals-to-be-found made those. 

And you know you want to eat it.  You can justify it by saying, "Awwww look, red, white and blue for fourth of July. Fourth of July only comes one day a year so I have to make them."



Well, I did make them. You have to understand that from the moment those sugared butter balls of dough hit the pan until my first bite, I was on pins and needles.  The anxiety.  These have been my comfort food since forever so they had to reach a very high level of awesome.

When I pulled them out of the oven.  I breathed.  A little.  Well?  They looked edible at least. But would they make the cut?  This is the exact reason why I avoid making peoples all-time favorite foods.  Too much pressure.  Sometimes I like the challenge but most times it makes me need something to relax me.  Maybe I should look into Lamaze classes.  Think they'd let me go to one to learn how to breathe while baking? I wonder...

Slathered frosting on them and here they are.  Soft sugar cookies.  Childhood favorite with about 573 less chemicals.  I can't say they were identical but I can say I had more than one.  Imitation success!  If I were feeling really ambitious I would have a recipe off and find the closest match but I have decided I should probably set my ambitions elsewhere.  If Jesus comes back this week and all I've got to say for myself is that I successfully recreated the soft frosted sugar cookie, He probs won't be super impressed.  Life is short and also there are way to many other recipes to try like these pinata cookies that are only my wildest dream to try to bake. My eyes are fixed on higher things.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

Shake and Bake Y'all!

-Me