Girls Party 2013

Last weekend I escaped to sunny southern Utah for the annual Bradley girls party.  It did not disappoint.  I suppose I was too busy knitting and talking to take any of my own pictures, so I stole some from others.

The weekend is always filled with lots of good food, crafting, talking, knitting, and quilting.  It's pretty much my kind of party.

Two of my favorite quotes from the party this year:
"If it's cute and fun, I just buy it!"
"I didn't know I was going to make a quilt today."

Lindsey made the most delicious chocolate bowls filled with chocolate mousse.  Maybe the best dessert ever.  I mean, you get to eat the bowl.... how cool is that?  AND it's chocolate.  Genius.

 Crafting and chatting.

 Always a lot going on all over the house.

 One thing is for sure about the craft projects, is that they exponentially explode in quantity and complexity.  This family is very good as mass-producing a craft, that is for certain.  And if you need something knit, look no further.  We've got you covered.

I tried a new cookie recipe this year, Salted Caramel cookies

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
• 1¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup caramel squares, cut into ¼’s (or a bag of caramel chips if you can find them)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Coarse Sea salt

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, cinnamon, and set aside.
2. To brown the butter, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. You will notice the butter starting to become frothy on the top and brown specks will start to form along the bottom. You have to watch it closely because the turn happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn. You will start to smell a nutty aroma and once it turns to a brown color, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
3. While the butter is cooling, cut the carmel squares into ¼’s.
4. In a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar. (The ¼ cup sugar will be used for rolling in the cookies). Mix until blended and smooth.
5. Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
6. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
7. Once you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place 1-2 caramel squares inside (I suggest 3-4), wrap the cookie dough over the caramel and roll back into a ball. Make sure it is completely covered so that the caramel won’t stick to the pan.
8. Mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll each cookie in the mixture. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. (I used course sea salt)
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly brown. The centers will be soft. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.