My mom was never much of a baker. But around the holidays she would indulge me and we would often make sugar cookies to decorate with frosting and sprinkles. I usually don’t have much time around the holidays to do a lot of baking, but this year I do so I’m looking for some good recipes to try. Here’s a few that I’ve been thinking of making so that I can give them out to friends and family:
Ingredients
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¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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¼ teaspoon ground allspice
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1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
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½ cup sugar
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3 tablespoons milk
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1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon peel
Icing:
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3 tablespoons warm water (optional)
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4 teaspoons meringue powder (optional)
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¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
Directions
- Stir together flour, spices, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in milk and lemon peel. Add dry ingredients, beating at low speed just until combined. Chill, covered, for 2 to 3 hours or until firm. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes using cutters.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
From the Test Kitchen
Icing:
If desired, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, meringue powder,* and cream of tartar. Add 3 tablespoons cold water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is combined, then on medium to high speed for 7 to 10 minutes or until mixture forms stiff peaks. (If mixture seems stiff while beating, add water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Icing should be fairly thick for piping. For a thinner, glazing consistency, stir in a little more water after beating.) Spread over cookies. (When not using, keep icing tightly covered to prevent drying.) Makes about 60, 2-1/2-inch cookies.
One brand of meringue powder is Wilton. Look for the powder at kitchen, cake-decorating, and crafts shops.
Ingredients
- 1¼ c. all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- ½ c. butter (no substitutions)
- 1 tbsp. red and green nonpareils or sprinkles or 1/2 cup mini baking bits
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse flour and sugar until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in medium bowl. With hand, gently knead in nonpareils or baking bits until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.
- On lightly floured waxed paper, pat dough into 8" by 5" rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. Cut dough into 1/2-inch squares. Place squares, 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week, or in freezer up to 3 months.
Ingredients
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1 cup cranberries
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1 cup pecans
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½ teaspoon salt
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2 eggs
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Directions
- For filling, in a blender container or food processor bowl combine cranberries, pecans, and brown sugar. Cover and blend or process until cranberries and nuts are finely chopped; set filling aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and orange peel until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
- Roll half of the dough between pieces of parchment or waxed paper into a 10-inch square. Spread half of the filling over dough square to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up dough. Moisten edges; pinch to seal. Wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Chill for 4 to 24 hours.
- Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices . Place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degrees degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 60 cookies
How about you all? Any of you out there making cookies for the holidays? What are your favorites?