Each Christmas I try to make one rolled and cut-0ut cookie. On my really ambitious years, I make rolled gingerbread men and women—cowboys, ballerinas, Santa and Mrs. Santa, clowns, snowmen and bald-headed old men in suits. This year, I’m just making frosted sugar cookies from my mother’s recipe. I haven’t actually made any yet, so this photo isn’t of cookies I made, but mine look quite a bit like these. And here’s how I make them.
- In large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon soda.
- Cut in 1 cup butter—you know, with a pastry cutter like you do for pie crust—until the mixture is in pea-sized lumps.
- Beat two eggs in a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons water. Mix. Add to flour mixture and stir well.
- Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Cool and frost with butter frosting.
Frosting:
- Combine 1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar; 3 tablespoons butter, softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk; beat until creamy. Thin with additional milk to desired spreading consistency if necessary.
- Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Spread frosting over cookies.
It’s hard to say how many cookies this yields, since cookie cutters vary so much in size. The recipe says it makes 7 dozen, but I don’t remember it making that many.
For those who like to get a head start on Christmas baking, these can be frozen unfrosted and then frosted after they have thawed.
I’ve posted this recipe for tomorrow’s Recipe Round Up. See details here.
Previously posted cookie recipes: