Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies

There are so many reasons to be happy, and I am going to list them for you.


1. It's almost Christmas!
2. The semester is over and I did well!
3. Alex passed his actuary exam!
4. Alex got offered a job in Boston...and took it!
5. It's time to celebrate!


I spent a lot of time cramming for exams this year, and to keep my mind at ease before my test, Alex convinced me to bake. He knows me so well. In fact, for Christmas, he got me a pizza stone, pizza slicer, mini spoons, tostada bowls and a spoon holder. He knows me so well.
But, we spent an afternoon baking, decorating and having fun. Well, after I made enough I thought were pretty I started having fun.
Why must I be so anal!?
None-the-less, we made awesome, perfect crispy sugar cookies. I usually prefer soft and chewy and if you bake these a smidge longer you would achieve that. But still, if you want a timeless classic, look no further.


What ya need:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Sugar Cookie Frosting, recipe follows


What ya do:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely and frost!


For Frosting:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Any food coloring


What ya do:
1. In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.
Happy Holidays! This time next year, we will be baking in BOSTON!!!

3 comments:

Kori said...

Gotta love decorating cookies at Xmas time... So fun, and yours are adorable! Happy holidays to you!

Monet said...

How exciting! Congratulations to you for finishing the semester and the job in Boston! What will he be doing? And oh yes...your cookies look adorable. I want one! Thank you for sharing with me, sweet friend. Have a beautiful Thursday!

Green Girl @ A little bit of everything said...

Congratulations for the finished semester and for the job in Boston. Hope you'll please us with lot more wonderful recipe from Boston area
your sugar cookies are great. love the way you decorated them

Have a joyful season.