Christmas Sugar Cookies Or Anytime Recipes

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES--OR ANYTIME

Steps:

• Mix the shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs till light and fluffy.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Chill 3-4 hours or overnight (I do mine overnight).
• On a well-floured surface, roll thin.
• Cut in shapes.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet.
• Sprinkle sugar on top of them.
• Bake 350-375 degrees (depending on oven) for 6-8 minutes depending on your thickness.
• Cool on a rack.
• You may also decorate them with and icing; there are a couple of good ones on Zaar.

CHRISTMAS CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll out a portion of cookie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheets. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minute, rotating baking sheet halfway through cooking time. Cool completely on pans about 5 minutes, transfer to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and water to form a thick, smooth icing. Stir in food coloring to reach desired shade. Drop icing onto cookies using a small teaspoon and smooth with the back of the spoon. Make additional bowls for additional colors.
• Additional multi-colored sprinkles can be added on top of icing before it dries for more decorative cookies, if desired.

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond extract and egg until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough 3/16 inch thick. Cut into assorted shapes with cookie cutters, or cut around patterns traced from storybook illustrations. If cookies are to be hung as decorations, make a hole in each 1/4 inch from top with end of plastic straw. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food color if desired. Frost and decorate cookies as desired with frosting and colored sugars.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in the sour cream, honey and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white coating; stir until smooth. Stir in food coloring; drizzle over cookies.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour and baking soda. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in dry pudding mix, egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface; mix with your hands until ingredients are well blended and come together to form smooth ball.
• Divide dough into four pieces; roll each into ball. Flatten each into disk. Roll out dough, one disk at a time, on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into Christmas shapes with 2-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary.
• Place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-covered baking sheets.
• Bake 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• Mix powdered sugar, meringue powder and water until blended. Spoon into separate bowls to match desired number of colored frostings. Tint frosting in each bowl with desired food coloring(s). Spoon frosting from one bowl into piping bag fitted with small piping tip, such as a number 2, 3, or 4. Repeat with remaining frostings to fill additional piping bags fitted with piping tips.
• Use piping bags to pipe line of frosting around edge of each cookie, then gently squeeze additional frosting back and forth over top of cookie to cover with frosting. Decorate with sprinkles as desired. Let stand until frosting is firm.