‘Tis the season to make cookies….

The coming of Christmas and Hanukkah brings many days of preparation and one of those days is making cookies. What is the holiday without a variety of your favorite cookies? I know that we each have a special cookie recipe, hand down from generation to generation that is always on our cookie tray.

One cookie that we all make is the Classic Rolled Sugar Cookie. Here is the recipe I use, that was used by a premier caterer in the Greenwich, CT area. A few years ago, I freelanced with them during the days leading up to the holidays. My assignment was to make 10,000 decorated sugar cookies. Each day I would prep dough and then start cutting out the chilled dough from the day before.

Here are a few tips I learned to help make the prefect Classic Rolled Sugar Cookie:

• Roll the dough out before chilling and then chill. I roll out my sugar cookie dough right after it is mixed up between 2 sheets of waxed paper, place it on to a flat baking sheet and put it in the fridge. Continue until all the dough is rolled out, stacking the dough sheets on top of the first one. You will go through a lot of waxed paper, but the convenience is worth it for me. When you're ready to cut them out, take out one sheet at a time, peel off the top waxed paper, lightly rub some flour onto the dough, replace the waxed paper and flip the dough sheet over. Peel off the now top sheet of waxed paper and you're ready to cut out your cookies. Collect the dough scraps in a plastic baggie so they don't dry out; re-roll when you have enough for a large sheet. I reuse some of the waxed paper sheets for re-rolling the scraps. A couple tips..... If the waxed paper slips on the counter while rolling, wipe the counter with a damp cloth. And while rolling the dough, sometimes the bottom waxed paper wrinkles, flip over the dough and waxed paper, release waxed paper and re-roll. This method of rolling out cookie dough has been a real time and mess saver for me.
• Decorating with colored sugars ~ Always prepare cookies by brushing with heavy cream or an egg white slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle with decorative toppings.
• Decorating with food colors ~ Mix 1 egg yolk and ¼ teaspoon water. Divide mixture among several ramekins. Tint each with different food color to make you desired colors. Paint designs on cookies with small paint brushes. If paint thickens while standing, stir in a few drops of water.
• Decorating with icing ~ see directions below

There are so many wonderful cookie cutters, some handed down by relatives, some found at flea markets and some found on cooking websites. Whatever shape cookie you want to make, it is available. I like to use a variety of shapes & sizes to give your cookie tray a creative decorative look. Now lets get baking…


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Classic Rolled Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and beat until smooth and light. Beat eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until blended.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture and mix well.

Working the dough in ¼ batches, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Then place rolled dough sheets on wax paper lined baking trays; separating the dough with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until completely chilled or overnight.

When ready to bake, cut out cookies with cookie cutter. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment and lightly greased.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until just golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack until cooled.



Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Milk, as needed

In a bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla; cream with an electric mixer. Gradually enough milk to allow icing to spread or pipe through a pastry bag.

Divide icing into separate bowls and add drops of food coloring to color your icing.

If icing is too thick, add milk or if too runny, add confectioners' sugar.


Store in airtight containers in a cool place until you use them.

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George’s notes:

• Un-cut rolled dough keeps for several days in the refrigerator.
• Cooked, un-decorated cookies freeze well for several weeks. Just thaw before decorating.
• Photographs from Christmas past.