Merry Maker Christmas Sugar Cookies
These are beautiful, and so much fun to make. Everyone is impressed by them, and they are not hard to make. The taste is fantastic!
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
* 1 cup butter or margarine (I use half of each)
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* food coloring (either liquid or paste)
Directions
1.Mix sugar and butter.
2.Add eggs and flavorings; mix well.
3.Mix dry ingredients together, and blend in to other mixture.
4.Divide dough into several parts.
5.Tint each a different color.
6.Make as many different colors as you like, but make sure they are really different to get the strongest contrast.
7.Refrigerate dough for two or three hours.
8.Take each color of dough and roll into small balls.
9.Place an assortment of different colors next to each other, making sure no two of the same colors touch.
10.Roll together, until about 1/8-inch thick.
11.Cut as many cookies as possible from dough, because if you reroll it, it will smear together.
12.Or, you can make a few at a time by rolling only a few balls at a time.
13.Bake cookies at 375°F for 7-8 minutes, or until lightly golden on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
14.These cookies freeze well.
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
* 1 cup shortening (I used Crisco)
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 3 eggs
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
1.Mix the shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs till light and fluffy.
2.Add the rest of the ingredients.
3.Chill 3-4 hours or overnight (I do mine overnight).
4.On a well-floured surface, roll thin.
5.Cut in shapes.
6.Place on ungreased baking sheet.
7.Sprinkle sugar on top of them.
8.Bake 350-375 degrees (depending on oven) for 6-8 minutes depending on your thickness.
9.Cool on a rack.
10.You may also decorate them with and icing.
The Best Christmas Sugar Cutout Cookies
Our Christmas tradition is to get together with family and friends several weekends in a row and bake, bake, bake. One secret to great taste is to roll the cookies out on powdered sugar instead of flour.
Ingredients
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 cup softened butter (NO MARGARINE!!)
* 1 teaspoon orange juice
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* powdered sugar, for rolling
Directions
1.Sift together flour and baking powder in separate bowl.
2.In second bowl, beat together sugar and egg until it becomes lemon-colored.
3.Add butter, orange juice and vanilla.
4.Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5.Slowly begin adding flour mixture (about 1/2 cup at a time) and blend; continue until all flour is used.
6.Form into 2 flattened rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
7.When ready to roll, set oven to 400 deg F.
8.Cover baking sheets with parchment paper (can be reused from batch to batch).
9.Sprinkle powdered sugar onto rolling surface as you would flour.
10.Roll out one rectangle into desired thickness and cut out; place on baking sheet, making sure not to let cookies touch.
11.Re-form scraps and roll again (may have to add more powdered sugar for rolling); continue until all dough is used.
12.Once baking sheet is full, place into oven and set timer for 6 minutes.
13.Depending on cookie thickness, baking time can range from 6-10 minutes, so check at the 6-minute mark to determine whether you need to bake longer.
14.When light golden in color, remove cookies from baking sheet and place on cooling racks or flat surface covered with parchment.
15.Cool to room temperature and frost with favorite frosting.
16.If decorating, I recommend the following frosting (also appears in recipezaar under “Cutout Cookie Decorator Icing”:.
17.1 cup confectioners sugar.
18.2 tsp milk.
19.2 tsp light corn syrup.
20.1/4 tsp vanilla.
21.food coloring.
Rudolph’s Christmas Sugar Cookies
Adorable little Rudolph-faced cookies that are sure to be a hit with the kids!
Ingredients
* 1 (16 1/2 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
* 36 pretzel twists
* 36 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
* 18 red cinnamon candies
Directions
1.Freeze dough 15 minutes.
2.Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut dough with a 3 inch round cutter, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Using thumb and forefinger, pinch opposite sides of each slice about 2/3 of the way down to shape face.
3.Break curved sides away from center of each pretzel twist to form antlers. Press bottom of 1 set of antlers on each side at top of each reindeer face.
4.Bake at 350 degrees according to package directions or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; press in 2 chocolate mini morsels for eyes and 1 red cinnamom candy for nose. Let cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove to wire racks, let cool 2o minutes more or until completely cool.
Grandma’s Christmas Sugar Cutout Cookies
Ingredients
* 3 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 cup shortening or margarine
* 3 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* ground pecans (Optional, ground pecans for added flavor. This is how Grandma always mixed hers) (optional)
Directions
1.Sift dry ingredients together.
2.Add shortening or margarine using a fork to combine with dry ingredients.
3.Add unbeaten eggs and vanilla.
4.Mix well.
5.Add ground pecans for added flavor. (This is how Grandma always mixed hers).
6.Whisk the dry ingredients together, add alternately with the eggs and vanilla.
7.Mix well.
8.Roll out thin on floured board and cut with floured cookie cutters.
9.Decorate with sugar.
10.Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.
11. Makes about 6 dozen.
Brown Sugar, Molasses, Nut Cookies (Christmas)
Excellent for Christmas gifts.
Ingredients
* 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
* 2 cups molasses
* 2 cups shortening or lard, melted
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 cup ground aniseed
* 2 3/4 teaspoons baking soda, dissolved in
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 teaspoons cinnamon
* 2 1/2 teaspoons cloves
* 2 teaspoons allspice
* 8 cups flour
* 2 cups nuts, chopped
* powdered sugar, to ice
* decorative candies (optional)
Directions
1.In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, shortening, molasses, and eggs until smooth.
2.Mix in all remaining ingredients, beating well.
3.Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to handle (2 1/2 hours to overnight).
4.Preheat oven to 375°F.
5.Roll out dough (small amounts at a time) on well-floured surface until 1/8-inch thick.
6.Cut with cookie cutters.
7.Bake until golden brown (10-15 minutes).
8.Dust with powdered sugar.
9.Decorate with colored candies.
Aunt Catherine’s Million Dollar Sugar Cookies
These truly are the most fantastic sugar cookies ever eaten 
Ingredients
* 1 cup butter
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg
* 2 cups flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup nuts, FINELY chopped
Directions
1.Cream butter, sugars and vanilla together.
2.Add egg and mix well.
3.Add flour, baking soda and salt, mix well.
4.Add nuts and stir.
5.Form balls the size of walnuts.
6.Then roll in sugar and press flat with the bottom of a glass or the tines of a fork -dipped in sugar.
7.Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min or until edges are a light brown.
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
* 1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
* 2 cups icing sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 3 1/2-4 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* white candy coating, for drizzling on cookies
* green food coloring
* red food coloring
Directions
1.In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
2.Beat in the egg, sour cream, honey and vanilla.
3.Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture (if the dough is too sticky add in a little more flour, add in just enough to hold together).
4.Cover and chill for 2 hours or 24 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
5.On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
6.Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters dipped in flour.
7.Place 1-in apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
8.Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
9.Remove to wire racks and cool.
10.Melt candy coating; stir in food colouring.
11.Drizzle over cookies.
Perfect Holiday Sugar Cookies
The combination of extracts and the addition of cream cheese make them the tastiest and tenderest of treats! The recipe may seem long but that’s because some notes along the way. They’re really very easy to make!
Ingredients
Cookies
* 1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
* 1 (3 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 egg yolk
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
* 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners’ sugar
* 3 tablespoons meringue powder
* 1/3 cup warm water
* assorted food coloring paste (you can find these at the craft stores)
* colored sugar sprinkle or candy sprinkles or assorted small decorative candies, if desired
Directions
1.In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
2.Beat in the egg yolk and extracts.
3.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda-gradually add to the creamed mixture.
4.Divide into two equal portions and wrap well.
5.Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
6.Note; Refrigerating your dough and baking sheets is the secret to perfectly shaped cut-out cookies/ The cookies won’t”spread” as they bake- in other words, the shapes will be well-defined/ The points on the stars will be sharp, etc/ Also, your dough will be much easier to work with and won’t stick to your cookie cutters, so the extra chilling time is well worth it.
7.When dough has chilled, remove one half from refrigerator.
8.Preheat oven to 375°F.
9.While oven is preheating, place cookie sheets in refigerator to chill.
10.On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to less than 1/4 inch thickness.
11.Cut with 2 1/2 inch floured cookie cutters.
12.Reserve trimmings for re-rolling.
13.Remove cookie sheets from fridge (do not grease them) and place cookies on them, 1 inch apart.
14.Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
15.Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
16.Repeat with remaining portion of dough.
17.Don’t forget to put your cookie sheets back in the fridge once they have cooled/ They only need to chill for about 10 minutes.
18.For your frosting, in a large bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water until stiff, about 5 minutes.
19.Tint frosting with paste food colorings if desired.
20.Keep tightly covered to prevent from drying out.
21.Note; Of course you can use the regular food colorings you find in the supermarkets if you desire/ If you haven’t tried the paste colorings, the colors are much more vivid than the regular food colorings/ Your X-mas trees will be much greener, Valentine hearts a brilliant red, etc/ Although they’re somewhat pricier, a drop or two goes a long way.
22.For detailed decorating, you can use decorating bags with small pointed tips/ You may need to thin frosting a bit to obtain right spreading or piping consistency.
23.I sometimes collect pictures of decorated holiday cookies from my favorite magazines to give me some ideas.
24.After decorating the cookies, set on wire racks to allow frosting to dry.
25.Store in airtight, covered containers.
26.Note: I am updating this recipe just to let you know about a little tip I just saw in a magazine. The person had cut out their cookies, placed them on baking sheets, and THEN refigerated them for about an hour before baking. You can do it this way also but I’d still chill your dough beforehand too, as it’s easier to work with.
Crisp Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 cup shortening
* 2 eggs, unbeaten
* 3 tablespoons sweet cream or sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Gradually add sugar to shortening, creaming until fluffy.
2.Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3.Add cream and flavorings.
4.Combine flour, soda, and salt.
5.Add to creamed mixture, mix well.
6.Chill.
7.Roll out small amounts at a time, very thin, on lightly floured board.
8.Cut with various shaped cookie cutters.
9.Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
10.Sprinkle with additional granulated or colored sugar.
11.Bake in 400 degree oven 6 to 9 minutes, until golden.
12.Makes 6 dozen medium-sized cookies.