Lofthouse Valentine’s Cookies
Part of my weekly kitchen rhythm is making an easy to grab snack for our afternoons. Often, we finish up our quiet time with a quick clean up and the kids run outside to catch another hour of two of outside time before showers and dinner. I know that my kids get three solid balanced meals a day, so if their snacks lean more towards “treat” territory, I feel ok about that! Muffins have become our go to grab and go snack for these cold outside afternoons. I can pour them a glass of milk or hot cocoa and hand them a muffin and off they go to explore together. I love hearing them chat on their walkie talkies as they munch on their snacks. I love making mini muffins because the big kids can eat 3 or 4 and feel satisfied, but the little ones that can’t always finish a whole big muffin can just grab one and not waste food!
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (totally optional, but gives it such a unique flavor!)
2 1/3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or sub for more flour)
½ teaspoon salt
Whipped Frosting:
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a splash of milk
sprinkles for topping!
Directions:
The dough will need to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling and cutting so we’ll make that first. Cream the room temperature butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or with electric beaters. It may seem a bit crumbly at first. Add the egg and almond and vanilla extracts. Continue beating them together. Add the yogurt and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pat the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for an hour or up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment. Roll the cold dough out on a very floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter shapes of your choice, a plain circle is lovely as well! Bake at 375 for about 10-12 minutes. Take them out of the oven when the edges are just turning golden. You can pat the leftover dough together and roll it again to cut more cookies until it’s all used up. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them. To make the frosting, you’ll simply cream the butter and powdered sugar together with the vanilla, adding a splash of milk until it becomes light and fluffy!
