Esthers Sugar Cookies Food

AUNT ESTHER'S SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the dry ingredients together, and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together 3 to 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix for about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time Add the vegetable oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, a bit at a time, just until combined. Don't over-mix. For best results, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a Silpat). NOTE: The dough will be soft, so a cookie scoop makes the task a lot easier. Otherwise, chill the dough for at least 15 minutes, if you don't have a cookie scoop. I like to use a 2-inch cookie scoop to measure 12 cookies per sheet, spaced about 2" apart. With the flat of your palm (I lightly moistened my hands with water so the dough doesn't stick), gently press the cookie down just enough to flatten it out to be even. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The cookies should be slightly brown around the edges. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cool, they will be crunchy, with a tender texture on the inside. Yield: 3 dozen cookies. If you make 1-inch cookies, you should have 5 to 6 dozen.

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.

MARTHA'S EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and cognac until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low until just combined. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough evenly and shape into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 5 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate until very firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes. Stamp out shapes. Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets, about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps; stamp out more shapes and transfer to sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes. Bake until set and golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• Royal Icing: In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add more lemon juice or confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency. Divide and tint with gel-paste colors as desired. Pour some into squeeze bottles for detailing.

ESTHER'S GINGERY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and a second rack in the lower third then preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, stirring until just combined. Add the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips and the candied ginger and fold until just incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on the dough's surface, and chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Drop the dough by heaping 2 tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake, switching the cookies between the upper and lower racks about halfway through baking, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking cookies on cooled baking sheets. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be baked ahead and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

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.

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.