Classic Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookies Recipe 455

CLASSIC VANILLA-ORANGE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In bowl of stand mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, orange zest and vanilla until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to bowl, mixing until combined. Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold, or for up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, placing racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Using cookie cutter, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to 2 prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps as necessary. Repeat process with more dough until both cookie sheets are full. Bake for 11 - 15 minutes, switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough. Melt chocolate and milk in a double broiler. When cookies are cool, drizzle over the cookies and allow to set.

CLASSIC OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine baking soda, cream of tartar and flour mixing well. With your hands, knead in softened butter.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs and mix well with sugar and vanilla.
• Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and again using your hands, mix this really well.
• Chill dough. It will be quite hard when it is completely chilled. Using a table knife, cut off chunks to roll out on a well-flour surface to desired thickness - thin cookies will get crispy when baked, thicker cookies will puff and stay soft. Cut into desired shapes.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven until the edges begin to brown; be careful not to overcook if you want them to stay soft after cooling!
• After completely cooled, decorate the cookies. These will freeze really well!