One "sweet" Needle

I like to consider myself one of Seattle's biggest fans. I can't get enough of this city. I love the grit. I love the music. I love the food. I love the mountains, the ocean, the urban and wild. All of it. My favorite? The cheesy, tourist-trap, random fixture of..."the needle."
The Space Needle never gets old to me - in fact, each day when I drive to work and make the turn onto Denny, the Needle pops into view and I smile and say to myself, "Hi Needly!" I consider it friend. I say "Good morning" to "him" and "good night" when I head home. It makes me happy. 


As you know, baking also makes me happy. So why not combine my two best friends? 
When my sister and father were last visiting we took the $35 elevator ride to the top of the needle to see the sights of Seattle. Of course, on our way down, it shot us right out into a gift shop. Space Needle t-shirts, stickers, shot glasses, pasta, LEGO projects (yeah, I bought that) and even cookie cutters crowded the shop. I was so excited to find one of my favorite cooking tool in the shape of one of my favorite things. 


Another favorite part of Seattle? Seattle Works! Seattle Works connects people in their 20s and 30s with volunteer opportunities throughout the city. When I first moved to Seattle, I joined Seattle Works to meet people. What I found was a way to meet the city. We volunteered in every pocket of the city - cleaning and clearing greenspaces, readying summer camps, organizing food banks and assembling science kits. 


Over the past two years I've become quite involved with Seattle Works, serving as an Auction Committee Member twice. This year, I decided to donate a dessert item for their famed "Dessert Dash." What to do? Well...it had to be something that was quintessential Seattle and quintessential Katie! Ah-ha! Space Needle Sugar Cookies!


Over the past few days I've worked on these little gems. Making the dough, chilling it, rolling, cutting, baking, cooling, icing, decorating, wrapping...giving. 


I love to bake. I love to gift my baking. And the Seattle Works Auction was the perfect place to share it with a great group. I had great response to the cookies and felt good about what I put into them. 


I hope the lucky tables enjoyed them and I thank them for their Dessert Dash donation and for supporting Seattle Works.


Sugar? Butter? Seattle? Perfect.