HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

XOXO

texas forever

I have never been to the south, worn cowboy boots or dined at Justin Timberlake's restaurant on 2nd avenue, Southern Hospitality (where they have paper towels instead of napkins in an effort to be oh so casual) but common y'all, TEXAS 4EVER. I have watched five seasons of Friday Night Lights in five weeks (IHAVEAVERYLONGBREAK,DON'TJUDGEME) and am having a minor love affair with all things denim and leather. Yes it is 4 days before christmas, and yes this post seems a bit out of place but LOVE IT, EMBRACE IT, LIVE IT. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. RAH RAH RAH I LOVE FOOTBALL!

december necessities

CIAO A TUTTI (as howdoyousay.net politely told me means hello in a very informal way) & a merry happy to all! New York has slowly but surely begun to fill up with agressive men selling christmas trees, drunk men in santa suits and the smell of roasting nuts on every street corner (yes, the nut men are there year round but hurrah to the holiday relevance!) Tis the season for tinsel, chunky sweaters and crushed velvet and i could not be more excited! Here is a list of my december necessities.

fried eggs:

good nails:

Big jackets:

loafers:

board games: (MY BROTHER MADE THIS ZOMG LOOK AT HIS PRETTY OBJECTS)

christmas music:

my dysfunctional family (come home.)

diamonds&pearls

Cookies
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Sanding sugars in various colors

Filling
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons almond extract
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

To Make Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, mix togetgher and set aside.

With electric mixer, mix butter, confectioners' sugar, almond extract and vanilla until fluffy.
Add flour mixture and mix on low until dough forms.

Place each sanding sugar into a small bowl.
Roll dough into balls, 1/2-inch in diameter, then roll balls in sanding sugar. Place balls on parchment lined baking sheet, 3/4-inch apart.

Bake for 9-11 minutes. Bottoms should just be turning golden. Remove and place on cooling racks.

To Make Filling:
With electric mixer, mix all filling ingredients on medium until combined.

Complete Cookies:
With offset spatula place approximately 1/4 teaspoon of filling on half a cookie, sandwich the other half to form a ball.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

recipe & pictures from here.