Ingredients:
For the cookie dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
at room temperature - 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the decorating icing:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons warm water
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 or 3 drops food coloring (optional)
- Colored sugars, sprinkles and/or candies
for decorating
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the egg and vanilla
Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until blended. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. The dough will look lumpy, like moist pebbles.
Shape the dough
Dump the dough onto a work surface and press together into a solid mound. Divide in half. Press each pile into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.
Roll out the dough
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 3 baking sheets with butter.
Sprinkle a work surface with some flour. Unwrap 1 chilled disk of dough and place it on the floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more flour. Roll out the dough with the rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle more flour under and over the dough as needed so it doesnt stick.
Cut out shapes
Cut a shape out of the dough with a round cookie cutter. Set the cutout on a baking sheet. Repeat, cutting as close as possible to the previous shape and spacing the cutouts about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Set the scraps of dough aside and repeat with the second chilled disk of dough. Smash all the scraps together, roll the dough out and cut out more shapes.
Bake and cool the cookies
When 1 baking sheet is full, put it in the oven and bake the cookies until light brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Move the cookies onto the rack with a metal spatula and let cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Make the icing
In a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the confectioners sugar, warm water and corn syrup until smooth. Add the food coloring. You can divide the icing among 2 or 3 small bowls and make each one a different color by adding a few drops of food coloring to each bowl.
Decorate the cookies using colored sugars, sprinkles and/or candies (see related tip at right). Makes about 36 cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).
In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the egg and vanilla
Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until blended. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. The dough will look lumpy, like moist pebbles.
Shape the dough
Dump the dough onto a work surface and press together into a solid mound. Divide in half. Press each pile into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.
Roll out the dough
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 3 baking sheets with butter.
Sprinkle a work surface with some flour. Unwrap 1 chilled disk of dough and place it on the floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more flour. Roll out the dough with the rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle more flour under and over the dough as needed so it doesnt stick.
Cut out shapes
Cut a shape out of the dough with a round cookie cutter. Set the cutout on a baking sheet. Repeat, cutting as close as possible to the previous shape and spacing the cutouts about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Set the scraps of dough aside and repeat with the second chilled disk of dough. Smash all the scraps together, roll the dough out and cut out more shapes.
Bake and cool the cookies
When 1 baking sheet is full, put it in the oven and bake the cookies until light brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Move the cookies onto the rack with a metal spatula and let cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Make the icing
In a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the confectioners sugar, warm water and corn syrup until smooth. Add the food coloring. You can divide the icing among 2 or 3 small bowls and make each one a different color by adding a few drops of food coloring to each bowl.
Decorate the cookies using colored sugars, sprinkles and/or candies (see related tip at right). Makes about 36 cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).
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Rated 5 out of
5
by
sparklecat03 from
Delicious and easy
I make these every year! This recipe is better than the standard/'adult' sugar cookie recipe on this site - these never stick to the pan and turn out perfectly every time. One of our xmas traditions for many years.
Date published: 2017-12-14
Rated 2 out of
5
by
SKMTL from
Crumbly dough, sweet cookie
I found the dough really difficult to manage. It kept crumbling and even when rolled out at room temperature, still cracked a lot. There isn't enough binding in this recipe (I added a couple of teaspoon of water to help it along). I also find them quite sweet, but if you have them with a glass of milk or tea (no sugar), that will help cut-down the sweetness of the cookie. I wonder if the Easter Cut-out Sugar Cookies on this site would be better. It had good reviews.
Date published: 2014-03-15