Time to take a break from holiday shopping, cards, decorating, work and just think Cookies! Doing a google search for "Christmas Cookies" took me straight to www.joyofbaking.com where the most beautiful, inviting cookies pop off the page in vivid Christmas colors. We love the traditional sugar cookies in wonderful shapes and colors. Most families make cookie baking part of their holiday celebrations. Cookies just spread happiness. Here is the recipe for this beauty.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure extract
Directions
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut out cookies using a lightly floured tree cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet.
Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown around the edges. Remove them from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with icing. Makes about 20 cookies.
Royal Icing Using Egg Whites
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
Directions
Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air.
Confectioners Frosting
2 cups confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Directions
Cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is nice and smooth.
What are your cookie traditions?
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