Allisons White Sugar Cookies Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg until smooth. Beat in the melted white chocolate, then the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three additions until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat into disks; wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 3- to 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm, then reroll once, cut out more cookies and freeze.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm and the edges are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Decorate the cookies with royal icing. Sprinkle with nonpareils. Let set, about 1 hour.

SALTED CHOCOLATE CHUNK SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla on medium-high till it's super light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes for a stand mixer; 6 to 8 for a hand mixer). Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and mix just to blend. If necessary, knead the dough with your hands to make sure the flour is totally incorporated. At this point, the dough should be smooth and feel like Play-Doh with no pockets of flour.
• Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don't worry about getting it totally perfect. (Don't be afraid to make them compact. Shortbread is supposed to be dense. That's part of why it's so good.) You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but plastic wrap is easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form a 6-inch log, 2 to 2¼ inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious, crisp edges).
• Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each log into ½-inch-thick rounds (if you hit a chocolate chunk, slowly saw back and forth through the chocolate). If the cookies break or fall apart, just press them back together - the dough is very forgiving. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (they won't spread much). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional sugar. Place on greased baking sheets; flatten with a glass. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until everything is well combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
• Add dry ingredients all at once, and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
• Scrape dough out of bowl and divide it in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, patting into a 1-inch-thick disk. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough, one disk at a time, on lightly floured parchment paper or work surface until it's about 1/8 inch thick. Create shapes, using a lightly floured cookie cutter. (Alternatively, using a knife, cut the dough into squares, rectangles or diamonds.) If at any point the dough becomes too soft to cut and cleanly remove from parchment paper, slide it onto a cookie sheet and chill for a few minutes in the freezer or refrigerator. Gather any dough scraps and combine them into a disk. Roll and repeat the cookie-cutting process, chilling as necessary.
• Place shapes onto parchment-lined baking sheets 1 inch apart and bake until cookie edges are lightly browned with sandy, pale centers, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Cool the cookies on a rack, if you have one. Otherwise, let them cool on the pan. Decorate with a glaze, royal icing, frosting, glitter, food-grade luster dust or whatever you'd like. Don't forget the sprinkles.

MY FAVORITE ROLL OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream sugar and margarine; add egg and flavorings and mix well.
• Stir dry ingredients; mix into sugar and margarine mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 3/16-inch thick.
• Bake 7-8 minutes until delicately brown.
• Let cool.
• Icing for Roll Out Sugar Cookies: 2 cups powdered sugar, milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Icing for Roll Out Sugar Cookies: In a mixing bowl, sift powdered sugar.
• Gradually add milk, stirring continuously until mixture is the consistency of a thin glaze. Add vanilla.
• Blend well.
• Food coloring may be added, if desired.