Dorothy Cookies

I first made these cookies last Christmas and everyone loved them. I found the recipe on an awesome blog that is sadly no more, so I can't even say thank you to the original creator (thank you webby person!)

Anyhooooo - I call these Dorothy cookies because they remind me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz when everything changes from black and white to technicolour. Ooh and the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow. That film's awesomeness knows no limits!!!

This recipe makes quite soft, doughy cookies, that is lovely with a glass of milk or a cup of tea - but I don't consider them to be dunking biccies. They fill your kitchen with a wonderful buttery aroma when cooking and are just plain fun to make - remember Plasticine? Well this is just as much fun to play with, and tastes good (why did Plasticine always taste salty??)

Right to make these you will need -

*3/4 cup of unsalted butter

*1 cup of sugar

*115g of cream cheese

*1 egg

*1 tsp vanilla extract (slightly more if you like a flavoured cookie)

*3 cups of plain flour

*1 tsp of baking powder

*1/4tsp of salt

*As many different colours as you want (I think more than four would be a bit mental). I use Wilton's colouring gel as I think it's the most vivid. If you are using normal food colouring liquid, try not to use too much as it will make your dough soggy.

1. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla and the egg. Yes, it will look as though it has curdled, but keep stirring until it combines and makes a glossy batter.

3.In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. The salt just stops the batter becoming overly sweet.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and combine until a soft dough is formed. This will be very sticky, but don't worry.

5. Split the dough into 4 bowls, and colour each whatever colour you wish. This is why it is important not to use too much food colouring - the dough could become sloppy and unworkable. Put the dough into freezer bags, or wrap in film.

6.Chill in the fridge for two hours, or in the freezer for half an hour if you're impatient :)

7. Remove dough portions from fridge/freezer. Flour your worktop/board and roll first portion of dough into a long sausage. You will probably need to divide each portion into two, or else you will end up with one loooooong sausage. Now, cut the sausage into 1in sections and roll these into balls.

8. Do the same with all four dough portions, until you end up with something like this.

9. Take one ball of each colour. Roll all four into a ball.

10.Roll the ball out into a thin sausage.

11.Coil the sausage back onto itself, and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

12. Put onto baking paper on a tray and pop into an oven, pre-heated to 350degrees (gas mark 4/5) for 8-10 minutes, until slightly soft in the middle, but cripsy on the outside.

13. Enjoy with a glass of milk!!!

If you can resist eating them all as soon as they come out of the oven, let them cool and then store them in an airtight box. I'd say that they're good for three days, but I can't guarantee you won't have eaten them all by then.

Love,

Colene

xxx