Dawns Sugar Cookies Recipes

OLD SCHOOL SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a big bowl, combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the baking powder, taking care to mix well. Add the eggs and egg yolk and stir well. Add the flours and gently stir until a smooth ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment paper (no cooking spray).
• On a floured surface, roll out tennis ball-size pieces of dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out the shapes you want. Lay them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between each cookie.
• Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack, then decorate them however you like with Royal Icing and your favorite sprinkles.
• Using a stand mixer and the whisk attachment, whip most of the powdered sugar with most of the other ingredients. Whip for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the royal icing holds its shape and is bright white (not translucent). If it is too soft, add more powdered sugar. If it is too stiff, add a bit more liquid, drop by drop. If you are using only one color, add a few drops of the color at this point and keep whipping until you have the shade you want; otherwise, proceed to the next step.
• To store royal icing, the ideal way is to scrape it out of the bowl and into a plastic, disposable piping bag, then leave it at room temperature. Don't cut the bag until you're ready to use the royal icing, and don't overfill the bag--you want enough room to tie the back of the bag off to keep the royal icing airtight. If any air comes into contact with the royal icing, it gets hard and that part of the icing is useless. Never attempt to mix the hard bits back into the royal icing--you'll ruin the whole batch. The other accepted method of storing royal icing is to scrape it into a plastic or ceramic bowl, and cover it with a wet paper towel. This method works, but it wastes both paper towels and royal icing. It's also just annoying. When you're piping small designs, you want to use very small parchment piping bags. It's easy to stick the nose of a large piping bag into a smaller one and extract exactly how much you'll need. When the icing is in a bowl, you have to use a spoon to get it out. The spoon is difficult to get into a piping bag, and you'll keep using spoons and wasting royal icing. Get with the times people. Do it right and don't waste food.

DUTCH SUGAR COOKIES (ARNHEMSE MEISJES)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment; sprinkle evenly with sugar to cover. Set aside.
• In a liquid-measuring cup, combine milk and yeast. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt, and vanilla. Beat in milk mixture on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Once all butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes. Turn out dough, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously sprinkle sugar on work surface. Place dough on sugared surface; sprinkle with sugar to cover. Top with a piece of parchment, then roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3-inch oval cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until deeply golden all over, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

DAWN'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, and stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.
• In a medium bowl, blend together melted butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk until frosting reaches the desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Spread onto cooled cookies, and place frosted cookies on waxed paper or cooling racks until frosting is set.

DAWN'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, and stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.
• In a medium bowl, blend together melted butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk until frosting reaches the desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Spread onto cooled cookies, and place frosted cookies on waxed paper or cooling racks until frosting is set.

DARIA'S BEST-EVER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat almond paste and egg yolks until crumbly. Add butter, sugar and salt; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. Divide into four portions; shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1-2 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough., Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and water until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Color frosting if desired. Frost cookies; decorate with coarse sugar and sprinkles if desired. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

DAWN'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, and stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.
• In a medium bowl, blend together melted butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk until frosting reaches the desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Spread onto cooled cookies, and place frosted cookies on waxed paper or cooling racks until frosting is set.

DAWN'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, and stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.
• In a medium bowl, blend together melted butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk until frosting reaches the desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Spread onto cooled cookies, and place frosted cookies on waxed paper or cooling racks until frosting is set.

ANN'S SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl.
• In another bowl stir together flour, soda, and cream of tartar.
• Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Divide dough in half.
• On a lightly floured surface roll each half to 3/16 of an inch.
• Cut out shapes as desired and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake on cookie sheets for about 8 minutes.