Christmas Sugar Cookies
Today, I was thinking about all of the sugar cookie recipes I have encountered throughout my years of baking. Sometimes, the dough spreads too much and your Santa cookies end up looking like extra terrestrial blob people. Sometimes, the dough contains SO MUCH flour that the cookies come out more like dry crackers.
I have a solution for you.
As I was recipe testing for one of my Christmas orders, I came across this recipe, and I would like to share it! The dough is extremely easy to work with, and can be flavored however you like. I brought my tester cookies to work, and everyone told me that they had a great texture. I will also provide you with my recipe for royal icing, so you can decorate these guys with your family!
Yields : ~30 small cookies
(I'm talkin' the small star, small Christmas tree, and stocking cookie cutters)
8 oz (2 sticks) Softened Butter
1 cup Confectioner's Sugar
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1.5 tsp Extract (I used vanilla, but you can use peppermint, lemon, etc.)
2.5 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
Cream together your soft butter, confectioner's sugar, and salt until the butter is very light in color. Scrape down the bowl to ensure even mixing. This should take 3-5 minutes in a stand mixer.
Add your egg and extract, and mix until combined. Don't forget to scrape down the bowl!
Add all of the flour at once, and mix at low until combined. Pull out a piece of Saran Wrap, and dump your dough onto it. Wrap it up tightly, and then flatten it into a rectangle. The flatter the dough, the faster it chills!
Place the dough in the refrigerator for an hour, or until firm.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface, and cut using your favorite Christmas cookie cutters. If your dough is cracking, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so, and have at it again. If you had to microwave your dough, cut your cookies, place them on a cookie sheet and in the fridge or freezer until your oven has heated to 350 degrees. Refrigerating your dough ensures that your cookies will not spread!
Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. While they are cooling, make your royal icing.
Yields : ~1 piping bag
(which is more than enough for 30 cookies)
1 Egg White
3-4 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
Extract, to taste
Whip your egg white until frothy in a stand mixer. Gradually add your confectioner's sugar until your icing is stiff, but not too stiff. You should be able to lift the whisk attachment up and the icing will look nice and shiny. I added the juice of one whole lemon to my frosting, and it was not too tart, and not too sweet. Make sure to add enough powdered sugar to account for the extra liquid if you go this route!
Pour your frosting into a piping bag (or a gallon ziplock bag with a tiny hole cut in the corner), and go to town! I added some Christmas sprinkles to mine for a little pizzazz.
