Best Stamped Sugar Cookies Recipes

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES FOR DECORATING

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the egg and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Reduce the speed to low again and slowly pour in the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture, in 3 additions, increasing the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed. Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together. Divide into 2 even pieces. Shape each piece into a flat square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• To roll, cut and bake the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dust another sheet of parchment paper with flour and put 1 piece of the dough on top. Dust with more flour and top with another sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out between the parchment sheets into a square about 1/4-inch thick (about 11-by-9 inches) and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• From 1 piece of rolled dough, cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch cutter and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate while you cut the remaining cookies. Reroll any scraps of dough and repeat the freezing, cutting and refrigerating process until all the dough is used.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets front to back and bottom to top about halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets set on a wire cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water and the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes (adding up to 1 tablespoon more water, if needed). Tint with a few drops of food coloring as desired.
• Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill it with the icing.
• Pipe royal icing on cookies with the design of your liking and let dry for 30 minutes.

STAMPED COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using stand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
• Add flour in two batches, mixing just until combined.
• Divide dough into two, then shape each half into a ball. Flatten each ball into a disk about 1-inch thick, then cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Place cookie stamps in refrigerator, too.
• Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add granulated sugar to a small bowl.
• Roll a piece of dough into a golf ball-sized ball, then roll in granulated sugar. Place on baking sheet.
• Dip cookie stamp into sugar, then press ball until dough reaches edges of stamp. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Once you have filled a baking sheet, freeze cookies for 10 minutes.
• Bake chilled cookies until golden brown on bottom, about 9 to 10 minutes.
• Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely before decorating. Enjoy!
• Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add just enough milk to make a thin glaze (should be fairly runny).
• Dip cooled cookies in glaze, then brush off excess. Or brush glaze on cookies using a decorating brush. Place cookies on a parchment lined tray until glaze is set.

THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

POWDERED SUGAR COOKIES I

Steps:

• Beat sugars, margarine, vegetable oil and salt very well. Add eggs and dry ingredients.
• Make into balls, roll in sugar and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. For holidays or special occasions, roll in colored sugar instead of white sugar.

STAMPED CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for 1 hour or until firm. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in thickness. Cut out with 3-1/2 in. cookie cutters of your choice. Using a floured spatula, transfer cookies to greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks., For icing, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, water and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture., Using pastry bags and small round tips, ice cookies. Let stand at room temperature until frosting is dry and firm, several hours. , For each color you use, in separate small bowls, combine 1/2 teaspoon food coloring with 2-3 teaspoon water. Pour onto food-safe stamp pad or folded paper towel. Press stamp gently onto pad, ensuring an even coating of coloring adheres to stamp. Press stamp gently onto dried icing. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until dry, several hours. Store in an airtight container.

STAMPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*
• In large bowl, comine 1/2 cup sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and cornstarch, dried butter powder.( this should be available from a cake decorating shop, etc) adds just the best butter flavor -- and mix well.
• Divide dough into 18 equal pieces, shape into balls.
• Roll balls in 3 tbls sugar.
• Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• For each cookies, flatten ball of dough firmly with cookie stamp.
• Bake at 350* for 9-12 minutes or until bottoms are very light golden brown.
• Cool 1 minutes, remove from cookie sheets.