Esthers Christmas Cookies Food

ESTHER'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, add sugar, margarine, eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in several additions, beating after each addition.
• Cover and refrigerate dough for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Working on a floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8" thick. Cut cookies into desired shapes. (Note: This dough can be rolled out again and again without getting tough.)
• Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn light brown.
• Sprinkle cookies generously with sugar or decorate as desired.
• Using a medium mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla extract; stir until well combined.
• If coloring the frosting, divide frosting into bowls and color at this point.
• Transfer frosting into piping bags fitted with a piping tip or ziptop bags with the corners snipped off.
• Pipe frosting onto cookies and decorate with sprinkles (optional).
• Let cookies stand at room temperature for several hours, or until frosting has hardened.

EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Decorate as desired.

EASTER CHICK COOKIES

Steps:

• Shortbread Cookies: Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed, scraping sides if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Turn out dough, forming into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To create an egg shape, pinch one end of a 2 1/2-inch-tall oval cookie cutter. Roll out 1 disk to a 1/4-inch thickness; stamp out shapes. Reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining disk.
• Bake until firm and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. For flatter cookies, tap sheets on counter halfway through baking and again afterward. Let cool on wire racks.
• Lemon Icing: Stir together sugar and lemon juice. Add food coloring. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle. Outline cookies with icing 1/4 inch from edges, then fill in centers.
• Set up a candy bar and get creative with decorating. For the chicks: Dip an iced cookie in sanding sugar. Let dry; store in an airtight container up to 5 days. Dot candy sequins with icing; overlap to create feathers. Use orange sprinkles for feet, a candy heart for a beak, and upside-down mini chocolate chips for eyes. For the eggs: Lay orange or yellow sprinkles in a zigzag pattern halfway up an iced cookie. Sprinkle bottom with sanding sugar.