The Best Sugar Cookie Food

WORLD'S BEST SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar.
• Beat in eggs until smooth.
• Slowly stir in oil, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and flour.
• Chill for easy handling.
• Shape into walnut-size balls. Dip in sugar. Place on baking sheet and press down with the bottom of a glass.
• Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes.
• Make about 4 dozen.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIE SNOWFLAKES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the confectioners' sugar and butter. Add the lemon extract, vanilla extract and eggs, and mix until the eggs are incorporated. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition, and then add the zest. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick. Use snowflake cookie cutters to cut out the cookies (25 to 30 cookies depending on the size) and place on the prepared sheets. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and cool to room temperature before decorating.
• Roll out the modeling chocolate using a pasta roller or heavy rolling pin to 1/8-inch thick. Using the same snowflake cookie cutter (wiped clean with a paper towel), cut out the snowflake shapes.
• For the syrup: Warm the corn syrup in the microwave, 20 to 30 seconds, then stir in the almond extract.
• Using a pastry brush, paint the top of a cookie with the syrup and immediately, but carefully, place a modeling chocolate snowflake on top. Position the modeling chocolate carefully before setting on a cookie, as it will stick very quickly. Rub your fingers over the edges gently to secure the modeling chocolate. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
• Use the remaining syrup to decorate the cookies. Paint a design, the edges or the entire surface of the cookies, and top with nonpareils, sanding sugar, crystal sugar or other decorations.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

THE WORLD'S BEST SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Beat oil and butter until blended.
• Add powdered sugar and 1 cup sugar; beat well.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Sift flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt together.
• Stir into sugar mixture.
• Mix well.
• Chill at least 2 hours.
• Roll into 1-inch balls; roll balls in sugar.
• Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.
• The cookies should be flattened to 2-inch rounds; don't flatten too thin.
• Bake for 10-14 minutes or until brown around the edges.