Christmas Cutout Cookies - There is still time!

As an adult, I've come to prefer those lumpy, bumpy cookies that are filled with all sorts of textures and fruity, chewy tastes. Children, however, seem to be drawn to the shaped sugar cookies and the more icing and decorations, the better. So, when composing a cookie plate for the holidays, one can't leave a favorite like that out.

Christmas Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature not melted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Tiny pinch of ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter, adding the sugar gradually, and continue beating until well-combined and fluffy. Add egg, extracts, and nutmeg. Sift or mix the dry ingredients together and blend into the butter mixture. It should gather into a ball and not be crumbly. If your dough is too dry, try adding small drops of water. Gather into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or vegetable oil spray them very lightly.

Take a portion of the dough, roll out on a floured board to a bit more than 1/4-inch thick. Cut with your choice of cookie cutters. Move to the prepared baking sheets, placing them about an inch apart. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden around the edges and set. Let the cookies set for a few minutes when they exit the oven and then remove to a cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
food coloring
enough milk to form a spreadable icing.
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

I use a rubber pastry brush to coat each cookie and have a helper there to immediately add whatever colorful sprinkles or sugars your might want on the cookies. Let them dry thoroughly before packing away into a container.

Crispy Thin Sugar Cookies

I could never figure out why my mother would give us cookies and lemonade for a snack because the sweet cookie would make the drink taste extra sour. Now that I've reached the age of reason . . . sort of . . . I rather like the contrast between nibbles of sugary cookies and cold, tart lemonade. This isn't one of my mother's recipes but it always reminds me of her.

Crispy Thin Sugar Cookies
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup solid shortening
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degree. Vegetable oil spray baking sheets or use parchment paper.

Beat the sugar and shortening together until well creamed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. With either a cookies scoop or tablespoon, round out a ball of dough about one inch in diameter. Dip the ball of dough into the cinnamon/sugar mix and place topping side up on the baking sheet about 2 1/2 - 3-inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cookies should rest for a minute before removing them to a cooling rack. Cookies are fragile but well worth the trouble.

Frosted Sugar Cookies

Went with a basic recipe, today, and dressed them up with buttercream icing and a few holiday sprinkles. Found the recipe on the back of C&H Sugar box and I think it is going to be a keeper. It pays to read both sides of any box before you toss it out.

Frosted Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs, blending well. Add vanilla and beat in thoroughly. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture and blend until well incorporated. Form dough into approximately one-inch balls and place on either an ungreased baking sheet or one that is lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let stand on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Buttercream Frosting for the Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3-4 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-3 teaspoon water or milk
Food coloring as needed or desired
Colorful sugar or sprinkles

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add cream of tartar and powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add water or milk and continue beating until you have a spreadable frosting. Whip an additional five minutes to make it light and fluffy. Spread on cooled cookies and immediately add sprinkles before the frosting sets. You can divide the frosting into two bowl and have two different colors. In honor of the Christmas Holidays, I went with pale green and pale red today.

Super Sugar Cookies

This is an all-time favorite cookie at our house. It is also great for bringing to potluck dinners or bake sales. They seem 'sturdy' but are actually quite crisp and almost melt in your mouth. Given the relatively rich ingredients, these are usually reserved for special treats or at Christmas time. You can always find these cookies on the cookie plates I give out during the holidays.

Super Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (margarine just doesn't cut it!)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioner's sugar aka powdered sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract*
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Approximately six cups all-purpose flour

*If you have it on hand, grinding a fourth of a vanilla bean in with your sugar takes the taste to a whole, new level.

*One tablespoon of freshly grated orange or lemon zest is really interesting and good.

Cream the butter, sugars, eggs and oil until well combined. Add all the rest of the ingredients and enough flour to form a workable dough. If you want flatter, even crisper cookies, use a bit less flour.

Form into balls of dough the size of walnuts. The baking sheet is ungreased. Depending on your baking sheet, however, you might want to use a light spray of vegetable oil to be sure. Use the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar to slightly flatten the cookies.

Bake at 400 degrees for about ten minutes or until golden around the edges. Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack. They are more fragile hot.

Ideas:
When the cookies first exit the oven, you and place a chocolate chip or two on top of each one. The heat should soon melt them and you can spread it out like an icing.

You can also 'glue' a pecan or walnut half on each cookie with a dab of icing. Candied cherries are good, too.

Instead of just pressing down the cookies with granulated sugar, use the coarse, rainbow sugar or some of the other types of colorful sprinkes for pressing down the cookies. You bake and decorate at the same time!

Sugar Drop Cookies make memories . . .

I remember one incident from my childhood days that always brings back a nice and cozy memory. It was a rainy, cold day and I was watching cartoons on our old black & white television (tell me that doesn't date me!). My mother was busy in the kitchen and good smells were drifing around the house. Suddenly, my mother appears with a plate of warm cookies directly from the oven with a cup of hot cocoa. She said that could be my lunch today which to any child is cause for celebration!

I acquired that cookie recipe when I left home and it is my go-to cookie when I need a quick batch. It is simple and basic but that seems to be the beauty of it. My own children have had a few surprise lunches with this cookie over the years. It is a welcome plate at potlucks. I may have shared this before but for new readers, I thought I run it past, again.

Super Simple Sugar Drops

2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs until foamy; stir in oil, vanilla, zest, and sugar. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Combine until smooth. Drop by teaspoonsful about two inches apart on very lightly greased cookie sheet. Dough should be rather soft. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on each cookie before baking. Colored sugar is fun if it is on hand. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.