The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Food

THE BEST CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer.
• Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.
• Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined.
• Divide dough into two equal portions.
• Shape each piece of dough into a round, flat disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two to four large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
• Remove one sugar cookie dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
• Place sugar cookie dough on a floured surface and roll to ½" or ¼" thickness (thicker = softer cookies).
• Use your favorite cookie cutter shapes and cut out the dough and place them 1" apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
• Repeat until all the dough is used. You can gather and re-roll the dough scraps two additional times (3 times total).
• Use a pastry brush and brush the cookies with a little bit of milk or cream. Then decorate with sprinkles, which will stick to the milk/cream.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and just set around the edges.
• Remove and let sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat with second disc of dough.
• Combine all frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
• Start with 2 TBS milk and increase until your desired consistency is achieved.
• If using food coloring, separate frosting into smaller bowls and add food coloring to your liking.
• Place each color in a disposable piping bag fitted with your tip of choice.
• Once cookies are completely cooled, decorate cookies.
• Let decorated cookies sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or until the frosting is completely hardened. Chilling them in the refrigerator helps speed up the setting process.
• Store in an airtight container or on a plate wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE CUT-OUTS W/ ICING

Steps:

• In a very large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.
• Add butter, sugar, evaporated milk and mix well.
• Add a tiny amount of water to the baking soda (just enough to stir) and add to the bowl.
• Sift flour and baking powder together; blend gradually into cookie mixture.
• Chill until easily handled.
• Grease and flour cookie sheets.
• Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
• Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Ice cooled cookies Icing: Sift powdered sugar into a bowl.
• Add evaporated milk and vanilla, mix well.
• Add food color if desired.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS SUGAR CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour and baking powder in separate bowl.
• In second bowl, beat together sugar and egg until it becomes lemon-colored.
• Add butter, orange juice and vanilla.
• Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
• Slowly begin adding flour mixture (about 1/2 cup at a time) and blend; continue until all flour is used.
• Form into 2 flattened rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to roll, set oven to 400 deg F.
• Cover baking sheets with parchment paper (can be reused from batch to batch).
• Sprinkle powdered sugar onto rolling surface as you would flour.
• Roll out one rectangle into desired thickness and cut out; place on baking sheet, making sure not to let cookies touch.
• Re-form scraps and roll again (may have to add more powdered sugar for rolling); continue until all dough is used.
• Once baking sheet is full, place into oven and set timer for 6 minutes.
• Depending on cookie thickness, baking time can range from 6-10 minutes, so check at the 6-minute mark to determine whether you need to bake longer.
• When light golden in color, remove cookies from baking sheet and place on cooling racks or flat surface covered with parchment.
• Cool to room temperature and frost with favorite frosting.
• If decorating, I recommend the following frosting (also appears in recipezaar under "Cutout Cookie Decorator Icing":.
• 1 cup confectioners sugar.
• 2 tsp milk.
• 2 tsp light corn syrup.
• 1/4 tsp vanilla.
• food coloring.

SUGAR COOKIE CUT-OUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla.
• In another bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
• Add the flour/baking powder mixture one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. (The dough will be very stiff; blend the last flour in by hand.).
• Do NOT chill the dough.
• Divide dough into 2 balls.
• On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut cookies into desired shapes, dipping cookie cutters in flour before each use.
• Decorate with gel and crystal sprinkle decorations, if desired.
• Bake on ungreased baking sheet on middle rack of oven for 6 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.
• Cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing and cooling on a baking grid/cooling rack.
• You can sprinkle cocoa powder on the cookies if desired (looks good if you're making reindeer shaped cookies).
• Cookies may be frozen in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 months.

CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortning, butter, and sugar.
• Add eggs, one one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.
• Aleternately, add flour mixture and milk in halves, folding after each addition until just blended.
• Divide dough into thirds, wrap each third in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Preferred method to baking - use parchment paper! Measure and cut pieces to fit on your cookie sheets. No need to grease cookie sheets. If not using parchment, lightly grease cookie sheets.
• Remove one package of dough. Place on a precut, lightly floured parchment paper, or a well floured surface, and roll out using a floured rolling pin to 1/8th inch thickness.
• Cut cookies with shaped cutters, dipping cutter into flour between each cut. Clean excess dough off as needed. Cut cookies with at least 1 inch space between.
• After cutting all the dough, pull away excess dough. Gather into a ball, rewrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Carefully slide parchment onto cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just set in middle. Time will depend greatlyon the size and shape of your cutters. Edges of cookies should not change color. Bottoms should be a VERY pale golden color.
• Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Carefully slide parchment off of cookie sheet and onto wire rack or clean counter to cool completely. Use thin spatula, and line counter with paper, if not using parchment.
• Repeat process with remaining packages of dough. Then combine all the excess dough from the original 3 packages and continue making cookies until all dough is used.
• Decorate when cooled, and store in an airtight container.