I want to bake sugar cutout cookies.?!
Answers: I want to make christmas cutout cookies this year. I need a fool proof recipe. I have heard they are rough to make without the right recipe. Any help?
Here's my cookie recipe:
1 cup of soft butter
1 cup of sugar (no substitutes!)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3 and a half cups of flour (white)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
step 1: cream butter and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
step 2: sift flour and soda together (I whisked them together)
step 3: add dry mix to the butter mix and mix till it forms a dough. If easy to handle, roll out right away. If sticky, wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours or overnight.
step 4: divide dough in half and roll out on a floured surface. Roll out to a quarter-inch round and cut out shapes (flour your cookie cutters - it helps)
step 5: bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes.
Here's the icing recipe:
-one-third cup of soft butter
-one-eighth teaspoon of salt
-2 cups of confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
-2 tablespoons of cream
Step 1: cream the butter and salt, then add sugar.
Step 2: stir in cream and beat well.
I use a frosting bag with a big star tip to ice my cookies.
try the website for Land 'o lakes butter--they have great cookie recipes
Check out www.cooks.com
I used to make them from scratch but then one year was in a rush so bought sugar cookie mix from the grocery store and nobody knew the difference!! They were tasty and easy to work with....so, that is what I do every year now and they turn out perfectly every time with a lot less work.
Here are a couple of recipes for cut-out cookies - the first one is for gingerbread, the second for sugar cookies. The secrets to good sugar cookies are to use butter instead of margarine or shortening, to make sure that your dough is properly chilled - when not using the dough, keep it in the fridge until ready to roll out and not to over work your dough or it becomes tough and will not make light, flaky cookies.
Gingerbread People
about 25 gingerbread people
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 5 minutes per batch
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
Royal Icing
Assorted colors of paste food coloring
Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground cloves; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds with an electric mixer. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in ginger and as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover; chill dough about 3 hours, or overnight, or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using 5-inch gingerbread people cookie cutters. Arrange the cutouts about 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Pipe designs on cookies with tinted Royal Icing. Makes about 25 gingerbread people.
To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store piped cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw, and if desired, pipe with icing.
Royal Icing: In a small bowl combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons meringue powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Stir in 1/4 cup warm water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until of glazing consistency. To tint, divide the glaze into small portions. Add enough paste food coloring or liquid food coloring to each portion to make desired color.
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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 10 minutes per batch
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Granulated sugar, fine sanding sugar, coarse sugar, or colored decorating sugar
Directions
1. Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; beat until combined. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract till combined. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough on a floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place rounds 2-1/2 inches part on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake about 10 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown. Transfer to wire racks and cool. Makes 32.
3. To store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
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Sugar Cookie Standouts
about 36 cookies
Prep: 45 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Bake: 7 minutes/batch
Ingredients
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
Edible glitter, sparkling sanding sugar, or granulated sugar (optional)
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and, vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough for 2 to 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle with edible glitter, sparkling sanding sugar, or granulated sugar, if desired. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm and very lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.
Powdered Sugar Icing: In a small bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. If necessary, add milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to reach piping or spreading consistency. (Or, stir together 1/2 cup purchased vanilla icing and enough milk to reach piping or spreading consistency.) Makes 1/2 cup.
Raspberry Sandwich Cookies: Prepare as above, except use a 3 1/2-inch scalloped square-shaped cutter to cut dough. Use a 2-inch alphabet-shaped cutter to cut desired letter out of center of half the cookie cutouts. Bake and cool as above (bake letter cutouts as above and decorate as desired). Before serving, spread 1 teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam over each uncut cookie. Top with remaining cookies with center cutouts to create sandwich cookies. Makes about 14 sandwich cookies.
Merry ABCs: Prepare as above, except do not divide dough in half. Tint one-third of the dough red with 3/4 teaspoon liquid red food coloring before chilling. On a lightly floured surface form a mound by dropping small amounts of each of the doughs close together in a random pattern. Gently shape the mound into a ball. Divide in half. Cover and chill until easy to handle. Roll, cut and bake as above, except use 3-inch alphabet-shaped cutters. Gently gather scraps of dough together to reroll.
Sugar and Spice Cookies: Prepare as above, except reduce granulated sugar to 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves with the sugar. Roll, cut, and bake as above except use a 4-inch hexagonal-shaped or round cutter. Use Powdered Sugar Icing to pipe snowflake design on cooled cookies. Makes about 20.
Honey-Ginger Cookies: Prepare as above, except reduce sugar to 1/2 cup. Add 2 teaspoons ground ginger with the sugar. Omit the milk and beat in 1/4 cup honey with the egg and vanilla. Roll, cut and bake as directed above, except use a 3-1/4- to 3-1/2-inch hexagonal-shaped cutter and decrease baking time to 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Decorate as desired.
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Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Prep: 30 to 45 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 7 minutes per batch
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2-1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Dash salt
3 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 cups all-purpose flour
Semi-sweet chocolate, melted (optional)
Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
2. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill the dough for 3 hours or until it is easy to handle.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool. Dip cookies in chocolate, if desired. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until chocolate is set. Makes 108 to 144 cookies.
northpole.com
Click on recipes and then cookies. You will be amazed at the choices and they ave one for Stained glass cookies that are to die for!