Marthas Brown Sugar Easter Cookies Recipes

MARTHA'S EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and cognac until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low until just combined. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough evenly and shape into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 5 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate until very firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes. Stamp out shapes. Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets, about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps; stamp out more shapes and transfer to sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes. Bake until set and golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• Royal Icing: In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add more lemon juice or confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency. Divide and tint with gel-paste colors as desired. Pour some into squeeze bottles for detailing.

MARTHA'S BROWN-SUGAR EASTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter with sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature until pliable. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out shapes with cutters; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps and repeat. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until golden, rotating sheets once, about 18 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• For cookies with white and colored dots: Use a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as #3) to make icing dots (about half as many dots as you want on finished cookies). Sprinkle with sanding sugar and let set, then shake off excess sugar. Pipe additional dots on cookies; let dry.
• To coat cookie surface with icing: Place icing in a shallow dish and carefully dip cookie into icing, leaving a thin border. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Let set and shake off excess sugar. If desired, pipe additional dots on cookies (or pipe a dot for a rabbit's eye). Let dry overnight. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment up to 1 week.

MARTHA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time; add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout. Cookie dough can be refrigerated, covered, overnight, if desired.
• Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden around the edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

MARTHA STEWART'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and roll with rolling pin so plastic is tight and dough is even. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready several baking sheets lined with parchment. Remove dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to temper slightly. (This prevents the dough from cracking.) Place parchment on a clean surface; dust generously with flour.
• Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness, stopping often to release the dough by running an offset spatulat under it. Dust with flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking. Transfer parchment and dough to freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• Remove dough from freezer; working quickly, cut into desired shapes. If your dough begins to soften, return to freezer for a few minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer to baking sheets; freeze or refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown, rotating halfway through. Cool on wire racks; decorate.

MARTHA'S BLUE RIBBON SUGAR COOKIES - CHRISTMAS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until well mixed.
• Add 2 eggs to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
• In another large bowl, mix sifted flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to creamed butter mixture. Mix well.
• Add in grated orange rind, and mix well.
• Make into a ball, and chill in bowl covered with saran wrap, for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350.
• With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick on a very lightly floured surface.
• Make into desired shapes using cookie cutters. (I dip my cutters in flour before cutting each cookie, so they don't stick). If you don't have cookie cutters, you can use the bottom of a glass instead. Brush off any excess flour before putting them on the cookie sheet, if there is any.
• Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart. You may use parchment paper if you like.
• Bake for 8 minutes (or you may preheat the oven to 300, and bake for 10 minutes).
• Let cookies cool on wire racks.
• Decorate.
• Store in a covered plastic container, or cookie tin.

MARTHA STEWART'S OATMEAL COOKIES OF THE YEAR

Steps:

• Cream the butter, add the white and brown sugar.
• Scrape down the bowl, add egg and vanilla.
• Mix together the flour and the baking soda and add to the creamed mixture.
• Add the oatmeal, cherries, chocolate, and toffee.
• Using plastic wrap, divide into 3 logs and wrap.
• Chill and slice 1/2" thick.
• Bake on parchment (or wax papered) covered baking sheet at 350* for 8-10 mins.
• Cool on rack.

EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Decorate as desired.