(root) beer me.

i've been looking for a good reason to bust this out:

so when i found this recipe for root beer float cookies that i'd saved on one of my pinterest boards ages ago, i figured i'd give it a shot.  since the recipe yielded a silly amount of cookies - we're talking 3-4 dozen here, with only four of us in the house - i decided to make half a batch.  the dough came together pretty easily, and was really goopy.  just a little thicker than cake batter, but a lot less firm than regular cookie dough.

they baked up nicely in about ten minutes, and they were nice and puffy.  smelled good, too.

after letting them cool for a few (and swatting the bean's not-so-sneaky paw away more than once), i mixed up the root beer-flavored buttercream frosting and started smearing it on top.

but they looked so...plain.  blah.  luckily, my well-stocked baking pantry yielded the perfect decorating touch:

a little sprinkle was all i needed to jazz these babies up just a bit.  looks a little more interesting, right?

although she had yet to have dinner, i relented and let the bean act as my little taste-tester.  she was only too happy to oblige.

i got a "mmmm!  these are really yummy, mommy!  you're the best cookie maker in the whole world."  this kid is slightly biased, though, and besides - if i make it, it contains sugar, doesn't have any visible fruit or anything green...she always thinks it's delicious.  don't get me wrong, i'm definitely not complaining, but her feedback doesn't always provide a clear picture, knowwhatimean?  so i picked one up and popped it in my mouth.

final verdict?  well, although the texture is lovely - really soft and cakelike (reminds me of those soft frosted sugar cookies at the grocery store that are so good...and so bad), i couldn't really taste the root beer flavor.  i'd even doubled the amount of extract in both the batter and frosting.

but the hub liked them, as did the teen.  i guess they're not a complete fail.