New fantastic Beatiful calfs: Pie Crust Cookies

'Tis the season for pumpkin pie. I have deluded myself into thinking that it is healthy (please don't burst my nutritional bubble). I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Cool Whip only has 25 calories for 2 TBS. Well then, bring on the pie.

The other day, I made my double pie crust recipe and made only one pie and let the girls have the rest of the dough. It kept them occupied for about an hour and a half. Flour was flying and there were a couple heated squabbles, but they had a good time. Pie crust is easy for kids to work with because the more you work it, the tougher it gets. Unlike sugar cookie dough that gets softer and stickier the more it is handled.

I make a rather unusual pie crust recipe. I know everyone already swears by their recipes from Martha or Better Homes, but I seriously think mine is the best. It is from the church cook book and is called "Flaky Pastry." Even after an hour and a half of kneading, the girls' pie crust cookies were flaky and tender. Try that, Martha.

The unusual, but best recipe:

Mix 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup flour together and set aside.

With a pastry blender, combine 2/3 cup shortening, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 2/3 cup flour.

Stir water/flour in with a fork and pat together on a floured surface. Makes 2 pie crusts.

For Pie Crust Cookies:

Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters or into rough squares with a knife. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 9-10 minutes at 425 degrees.

The other good thing about pie crust cookies are that the dough isn't as addictive as sugar cookie dough. Mandy ate her fair share of pie dough, but no sugar and no eggs, so no worries.

Emma is so artistic and takes an incredible amount of time to make her creations. Rushing her is a very bad idea. Mandy eating her works of art before they are baked is also a bad idea. Like I said, flour was flying. When Emma was 2, she would scream, "I DO IT!" constantly and about everything. It was frustrating at the time because a 2 year old really can't do everything. Now I see how that persistent nature plays out in her personality. Good thing we weren't in a hurry on this day.