Best Cutout Cookie Recipe

 I love the simplicity of this cookie dough! No need to refrigerate and it holds its shape perfectly! Just mix, cut and bake!  Yields 24-36

1 cup unsalted butter (Land O Lakes)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl.

3. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape sides of bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until combined.

5. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients to creamy mixture a little at a time until combined.

6. If the dough looks crumbly mix for 30 - 60 seconds longer. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

7. Divide dough into 2 - 3 batches, roll out onto a floured surface at 1/4 inch thick, and cut shapes.

8. Bake at 350 for 6 - 8 minutes. 

9. Cool on cookie sheet until for 3- 5 minutes to finish setting then move to cooling rack.

10. Ice cookies when completely cool.

Royal Icing

2 lbs powdered sugar (7 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup meringue powder

2/3 cup warm water

1 TBSP vanilla

1. Place the meringue powder and warm water in the bowl or a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Beat until it is combined and foamy. Let it sit for a few minutes.

2. Measure then sift the powdered sugar into a large separate bowl to get out all the lumps.

3. Add powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, mix at lowest speed until all sugar is used.

4. Once combined, add the vanilla extract. Beat at low-medium speed for 5 minutes or until the icing forms a stiff peak.

5. Cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap so the air bubbles have a chance to rise to the top.

6. Divide the royal icing into smaller bowls and color with gel food coloring. Stir well and tap bowl gently to help air bubbles rise to the top.

7. The icing for the above recipe creates the consistency for DETAILS like flowers.  

Using a spray bottle with water, spray and stir colored icing in the smaller bowls until it's the consistency of toothpaste for DIMENSION icing.

If you need it even thinner, continue to spray with water until it's the consistency of honey for FLOODING ICING.

I would suggest searching online for videos about making icing and decorating cookies. I've spent a lot of time experimenting and this is what I know so far.

Happy Baking,

Christie

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White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

A very beautiful and delicious holiday cookie!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dried cherries, chopped or dried cranberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
dash of love

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla and egg, mixing well.
4. Sift together the flour and baking soda.
5. Spoon the flour mixture gradually into the creamed sugar mixture.
6. Stir in the cherries, white chocolate chips and pecans.
7. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
8. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 - 15 minutes until golden on top.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to rack.

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Christmas Cookie Time

Print your ingredients list 

I'm looking forward to organizing my kitchen to start making Christmas Cookies! This ingredient form helps me figure out how much I'll need to purchase after I check my cupboards. 

We usually make the same traditional cookies but try to add something new each year. I've been looking for a chocolate cookie recipe for Tommy and will be trying the Double Chocolate Almond Cookie from the Food Network. I'll replace the almonds with mini mint chips, something he's been asking for.

Check out these recipes!
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Spritz
Russian Teacakes
Rugelach
Toffy
Fantasy Fudge
Coconut Dream Bars
Pecan Pie Bars

Here is the ingredient list for you to download and print. Let me know what you are making this year! 

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Hugs,
Christie

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Happy Holidays!

I am ready to make cookies today! I've assembled all of the ingredients, butter is almost at room temperature, counters are cleared off but best of all I'm grateful to be healthy this Christmas after finishing breast cancer treatment.  I don't have all of my stamina yet so I cut back on all of the types of cookies we usually make for the holidays. We also purchased pre-cut Sugar Cookies at GFS to save some time. Here are the cookies we are making this year:

Coconut Dream Bars
Spritz
Russian Teacakes
Rugelach
Fantasy Fudge
Pecan Pie Bars

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Cookie Ingredient Form

We created this cookie ingredient form a few years ago to help us tally the ingredients needed for our annual Christmas Cookie Bake-a-thon. You can download this form and change the types of cookies you want to make in the left column before you print your own copy. After printing, just fill in the recipe measurements. Add each column to calculate the total amount of ingredients needed. check out this Measurement & Conversion Chart

Check back after Christmas. I will remake this chart on an excel spreadsheet so the columns will total automatically.


Check out these recipes!
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Spritz
Russian Teacakes
Rugelach
Toffy
Fantasy Fudge
Coconut Dream Bars
Pecan Pie Bars

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Rugelach

Dough
2 sticks butter, room temp

8 oz cream cheese, room temp

¼ cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

2 ½ cups flour

Beat ½ pound butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in cream and salt. Gradually beat in flour until just combined. Divide dough in 4 parts. Wrap each and place in refrigerator for an hour.

Center Layers
4 TBSP butter

6 TBSP sugar

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

1 ½  cup ground walnuts

Melt 4 TBSP butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a separate dish. 
Roll 1 part of dough at a time into 1/8 inch thickness on floured surface. Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle with some cinnamon/sugar and walnuts. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up, starting with wide end. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350° for 20 – 22 minutes, until golden brown. 
Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm, then again when cooled.

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Snowball Cookies

Making Snowball Cookies (Russian Teacakes) has been a family tradition for every Holiday!

Ingredients

2 cups (4 sticks) margarine or butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 ½  cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 ½  cups finely chopped nuts

Directions

Mix margarine and powdered sugar and vanilla.  Mix in flour, salt and nuts until dough holds together.

Shape into 1-inch balls.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet  at 400° for 10 - 12 minutes until set, not brown. 

Roll in powdered sugar while warm; cool. Roll in powdered sugar again.  Makes 6 dozen.

Tommy is up to his elbows in powdered sugar, 1996

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Spritz Cookies

You will need a cookie press for this recipe

Ingredients

1 cup margarine, softened 

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract or vanilla

food coloring

2 + 1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Mix butter and sugar.  

2. Add egg and flavoring. Add food coloring. Mix until smooth.  

3. Mix in baking powder, salt and most of flour.    Finish with rest of flour.  

4. Place dough in cookie press; form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet. 

5. Sprinkle with decorating sugar.   

6. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes until set but not brown.  

7. Remove from sheet immediately to cool on wire rack.

2022

Use fresh margarine, not frozen

Cut margarine into cubes, let set for 20 minutes, then begin recipe.

Keep dough on the cooler side when pressing, instead of soft and warm

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Coconut Dream Bars

Bottom Layer

1 cup flour            

½ cup butter                

½ cup sugar                 

Cream together butter and sugar. Add flour. Press in a 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar        

2 eggs, beaten           

1 tsp vanilla                

¼ tsp salt  
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp flour                 

1 Tbsp Karo
1 - 1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Blend sugar and beaten eggs. Add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients. Add & stir to creamed mixture. Add nuts & coconut. Spread over crust.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.

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Cookie Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

2 TBSP milk

1 TBSP Karo

Food coloring

Mix well. Add enough milk to make spreadable, a little runny. Divide into bowls, add coloring. Apply with small knife or place in small squeeze bottles with fine tips.  To layer icing when decorating, allow first layer to set (dry) before adding next color.

We usually double this recipe and make a couple batches!

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