I can't wait

For everyone at my house to not be sick. 
To get back in the swing of things at school.
For the leaves to turn.
To make these for Halloween again:

{Owl cookies!}

Mike's grandma (in whose house we now live) passed away about 8 years ago, but she always made these every Halloween before that.  I decided last year that it would be a tradition I would like to carry on, so those in the picture above were my first attempt.  They're adorable and really yummy, too.
In case anyone else wants to give them a shot, here's the recipe:


Owl Cookies:

2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 tsp baking soda

Sift together flour, salt and soda.  Set aside.  Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla to creamed mixture and then add dry ingredients gradually.  Add baking soda to melted chocolate.  Remove 3/4 of the dough to a floured surface and knead in chocolate. 

Roll out 1/2 remaining light dough into a 10" x 4 1/4" rectangle.  Shape 1/2 chocolate dough into a roll 10" long and place it on the light dough rectangle.  Roll the light dough around the chocolate dough and mold them together.  Repeat with the second halves of the dark and light dough.  Wrap both rolls in foil and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove foil, cut the dough into slices about 1/4" thick.  Join two slices side by side on the cookie sheet.  Place a cashew by the joint for the beak and chocolate chips in the center of the chocolate for the eyes.  Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

And that's it.  You have to plan a little ahead, what with the chill time, but they're so worth it. 
Maybe later this week I'll get something new up.  It's hard to say.  I teach at a local university- just a few classes a week, very part time- and I'm always amazed at how much of my time it eats up.  It's fun, though.  Geology is awesome.