Sugar Cookie Cutouts
December 8, 2009 by Eleisia
Filed under Recipes & Tips
Kids love to help out in the kitchen. Decorating cookies for Christmas is especially fun because they get to taste their creations and share them with family members. My son used to help make cookies when he was young. He learned to be a good cook as he grew up and today he would rather cook healthy meals at home rather than eating fast food.
When decorating sugar or cutout cookies for the holidays or any time, place a clean cotton shower curtain or old tablecloth over your table to protect it and then let children decorate on that. After they are done, shake the covering outside and throw it in the washing machine and dryer. Then it’s ready to use again.
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (about 1 large lemon or small orange), freshly grated, optional
Decorating Icing:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract
2 to 3 tablespoons lime, orange or lemon juice, at room temperature
Food Colors
Additional colored sanding sugar and sprinkles for decorating
In a medium bowl, combine butter and sugar; cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Add flour, salt and zest; blend until dough is evenly mixed.
Divide dough in four balls on sheets of plastic wrap, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter them.
Take 1 disk of dough from refrigerator. (Keep remaining dough chilled.) On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place on prepared baking sheets.
Bake until bottoms just begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on pan 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Continue to roll, cut and bake remaining dough.
For the icing, combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding juice to reach desired consistency. Decorate completely cooled cookies, as desired.
Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
If you like the taste of almond, substitute 1 teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract for the Vanilla Extract or use 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract and 1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Eleisia
http://www.NotJustVanilla.com
