Cinnamon Twists with an Apple-icious Twist

Today, my love of baking (or perhaps I should say my love of baked goods) and my love of photography have collided.

This week's photo challenge is "getting really close" (and since it's not yet Friday, you'll just have to come back in a couple days to see my project submission).  After I snapped a few photos, I thought I had a winner.  

Except I couldn't stop there!  I had re-discovered the macro setting on my camera and I was having too much fun to put my camera down (oh I know these pictures are nothing special, but when I use the regular settings on my camera, there is no way I can get this close and not have a blurry shot. Therefore, I am excited).  And as I was in the mood to bake today, you now get a little tutorial, complete with lots of up-close photos, on how to make Cinnamon Twists.

These cookies are so simple, and so delicious! 

Cinnamon Twists

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk

1 cup butter (softened)

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 - 2 cups cinnamon sugar
apple slices - optional

To make them, combine all ingredients except cinnamon sugar and apples in a large bowl.  

(See, I told you it was simple ;) )

Divide the dough into seven balls and chill. 

(Or don't chill, if you are impatient like me.)

Roll each ball flat in the cinnamon sugar. 

Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 pie-like pieces.

Roll up each wedge starting at the wide end.

These don't rise much, so go ahead and place 20-24 on one cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Now, for a fun apple-icious twist, add a thin apple slice to each wedge before rolling!  

(I cut these apple slices in half lengthwise and stacked them after taking the picture.)

Bake as above.

It's an apple cinnamon twist!

Butter, cinnamon sugar, and apples. Does that combination ever fail?

Yummmmmmmmmm! (oh, and I'd suggest doubling the batch. That way they might last longer than a day!)