Cut-out Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe. 

 

Rolled Sugar Cookies

by Glorious Treats

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
Parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  This should take about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so.

Add the flour mixture slowly.  (Be careful not to add too much at a time or you will have a snowstorm of flour.)

Blend until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a piece of parchment paper. 
Using your hands, knead the dough a few times.

Place the dough in a large plastic (ziplock type) bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  If you want to speed up the chilling process, place the bag of dough in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Just don't forget it in the freezer, or it will become to firm to work with (and then you'll have to wait for it to thaw). 

When it's almost time to remove the dough from the refrigerator (or freezer), preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). When the dough has chilled and is firm, take out about half of the dough, leaving the rest in the refrigerator (until your ready to work with it). 

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/3 of an inch thick. 

Place cookie shapes on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure to only put cookies of similar size on each bake sheet.  If you try to bake smaller cookies with larger ones the small ones will be over done before the large ones are baked. 

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie.  Bake until they are just barely beginning to take on a golden tone.  They will continue to bake as long as then are on the pan, so don't let then get too brown.  Cool for just a minute or so on the pan, then carefully remove cookies from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Once cooled, the cookies can be decorated with frosting, royal icing or rolled fondant.

This recipe yields about 30, 2 1/2 inch cookies or 16, 3 1/2 inch cookies.

Here are a few shots of the process:

I

I have been learning how to decorate sugar cookies.  Its so much fun. 

 

My little helper. 

Make sure to check out Glorious Treats blog.  She has great recipes and tips.

I also recommend University of Cookie for great cookie making/decorating videos.  There is also a list of cookie websites for lots of inspiration.  My current favorite is Sweet Sugar Belle.  Her work is beautiful!

 

This a simple easy candy to make as gifts during the Holidays.  Its a popular recipe on the internet.  Here is the recipe I use. 

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

recipe by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 20 small mini pretzels (I prefer the Synders butter squares)
• 20 chocolate covered caramel candies (i.e. Rolos)
• 20 pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy
4. Cool and enjoy!

Top Secret Chocolate Cookies

I started making this recipe last year at Christmas time. It is an absolutly delicious cookie.

by Paula Deen
Ingredients2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
White Sanding sugar, for garnish

Directions
In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together with a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until incorporated.

Roll the dough into 2 logs that are about 2-inches high and 1-foot long. Wrap them in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once thoroughly chilled, slice the cookies into 1/2-inch thick rounds and cover with sanding sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.