Red, White + Blue Cookies

The kids have been begging to do a lemonade stand.  We had planned on doing one last weekend, but when the weekend rolled around, each of my kids were off with friends and out of the house.  Which, actually, was lovely for me!

This Sunday is the 4th of July and what better day to organize a lemonade stand than on a national holiday?  We have also decided to make it a for charity.  All of the money that we make will be going to Share our Strength.  This is a wonderful organization that works really, really hard to make sure that no child in America grows up hungry. The kids are working hard on posters to "promote" our little endeavor and I have sent emails to all of our neighbors and friends.  The response has been overwhelming so I have already started baking!

I have started with a simple butter cookie, but added a theme.  The kids and some of their friends sampled the broken ones and I have been given the thumbs up!

Colored butter cookie sandwiches
yield: 65 sandwich cookies

ingredients:
cookies
1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
splash of vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour

filling
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
dash of vanilla
1-2 Tbls. milk

instructions:
cookie
• beat sugar until creamy.  add sugar and beat on medium high heat until smooth. add the salt and a dash of vanilla. scrape down sides of the bowl.
• I didn't do this, but if you are going to color your batter, divide the dough in half ( weigh it to get equal amounts) and add your food coloring here.  mix thoroughly.  then add the additional color to the other half of the dough.  this was an after thought for me.  I added the food coloring after I added all my flour.  big mistake.  I feel your colors will be much more consistent and true if you do it this way.
• add the flour, a little at a time until all is Incorporated and your dough starts to come together.
• drop your mixture onto a floured surface and form into a disc.  refrigerate for about 15 minutes.  don't let your dough get too firm, otherwise it will be crumbly when you roll it.
• roll your dough to 1/8" thickness on a floured surface.  cut out 1 1/2" circles.  I got around 130 circles.
• bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 12-14 minutes. rotate pans, front to back and top to bottom, half through the baking time.
• let cool on baking sheet and then once cooled remove to a wire rack.
filling
• beat butter until smooth.  add sugar and mix until creamy.  add vanilla, mix.  add milk until you get the consistency you desire.  set aside

if you are filling the cookies, these are best eaten within hours.  however, the actual cookie themselves can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for up to a month.