Buttery Velvet Cut Outs Food

BEST BUTTER COOKIES (CUTOUTS)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add in egg and beat well. Beat in orange juice and vanilla.
• Combine flour and baking powder and gradually beat inches.
• Chill dough for about 1 hour.
• After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 400.
• Roll dough on to lightly floured surface to about 1/8-1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Sprinkle w/ colored sugars, if desired.
• Bake at 400 for 6-9 minutes (depending on cookie size) or until edges just slightly golden.

WHITE VELVET CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla: mix well.
• Gradually add flour.
• Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Cut into 3-inch shapes.
• Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set (not brown at all).
• Cool for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to continue cooling.
• Frost after completely cool with White Velvet Buttercream Cookie Frosting (see Recipe #48001).

WHITE VELVET CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, 2 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set (do not brown), 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a bowl, beat butter, shortening and vanilla until blended. Beat in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach spreading consistency; beat until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. If desired, beat in food coloring. Frost cookies. (Keep frosting covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)

RED VELVET SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until just combined. Beat in the egg yolk until just combined. Beat in the food coloring and vanilla until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into 2 disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Sandwich 1 disk of dough between 2 sheets of parchment dusted with flour and roll the dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter and put on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (about 12 cookies per sheet). Repeat with the second disk of dough.
• Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until set and brick red, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

FROSTING FOR WHITE VELVET CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth.
• Gradually add the remaining sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add enough remaining milk and food coloring until frosting reaches desired color and consistency.
• •food coloring pastes are much stronger than regular food coloring--a little food coloring paste goes a long way and it also doesn't thin out your frosting like regular food coloring can.