Winter Cookies for Fall

Last night after dinner I was in an especially mood. I lay on the sofa bed and confided in Thatboy I couldn't be any happier. The temperature was perfect, I was decidedly full but not stuffed, and was incredibly comfortable lazing in bed. So comfortable that I even let Thatboy do all the dishes - unlike our normal routine where I pop up to help. "The only thing that would make this night perfect, would be hot chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven." I told him, while he stood with his hands elbow-deep in suds. "But I'm too comfortable and lazy to get up and make cookies."

"Can I make them?" He asked. I gave him a look of shock. Knowing that of course he couldn't make cookies. This is a man who needs help cooking "meal in a bags." "Don't we have one of those refrigerator packs where you can just cut them up and put them on a sheet?"

Another look of shock on my behalf. "In the time we've known each other, have you ever known us to have refrigerator cookie dough lying about?" He admitted he did not and therefore wasn't surprised there was no dough ready for him to pop in the oven.

But today was all about food. For the most part. I got up and headed to the supermarket to "stock up" on essential supplies just in case it's my last chance. (Which doesn't seem likely for anyone who's concerned. I'm sure I'll be making another trip next weekend.) Then it was home for lunch - chicken with fava beans.

Then I headed out to the farmer's market so I could load up on produce for the week. And pick up some fresh flowers. I love having flowers when we have company coming and with the New Year this week it's an excellent excuse to pick up something bright and colorful. This week my egg guy wasn't around and I skipped the bread so our haul this week ended up as $20 instead of $30.

Those little strawberries are delicious. They've already been chopped up and placed in our lunch for tomorrow. And those apples have "crisp" written all over them. But I ran out of time to make the crisp today.

Instead, I came home and made Mexican Meatloaf (which incidentally has completely won this non-meatloaf girl over. I highly suggest you try it. It's my new go-to recipe.)

And since I was already in the kitchen, cookies seemed like a natural next step. To go along with the Mexican Meatloaf, Mexican wedding cookies seemed to make sense. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania we called them snowballs. But then again, I doubt anyone in my town had any cultural ties to Mexico. Instead they popped up as Christmas cookies all over town. Vanilla cookies, rolled in powdered sugar conjure up wintery feelings everywhere. It's still a ways from Christmas, but chocolate and cinnamon are definitely autumnal, right? Cinnamon is so very close to cider. And chocolate? Well they're no chocolate chip cookies, but they will definitely do.

Chocolate Cinnamon Snowballs
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for rolling)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter in an electric mixer.
2. Add sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon and beat until the mixture is fluffy.
3. Add the flour in 2-3 batches. Mix just until blended.
4. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.
5. Cool on wire racks just until you can handle them. Roll in powdered sugar and then let cool completely.
   
6. Roll them in powdered sugar again (and if you like, do it even one more time because that's the best part).