Christmas Sugar Cookies
A lower calorie Sugar Cookie, a traditional roll out dough.
Equipment
- 1 measuring spoons, mixing spoon, mixer, baking sheet, oven, 2 mixing bowls, rolling pin
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
- 1 C. butter softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. soda
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- Granulated sugar or colored sugar
Instructions
- 1. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg with mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- 2. Heat oven to 375*F. Lightly grease cookie sheets with shortening or cooking spray, or line with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- 3. Divide dough in half. Roll each half on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. On cookie sheets, place cutouts about 2 inches apart.
- 4. Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
- Colored Sugar:
- Place 1/2 C. granulated sugar in resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add liquid food color to tint as desired. Seal bag. Squeeze and rub sugar in the bag until it becomes evenly colored. Homemade colored sugar may clump, if it does, just break it apart until clumps are gone.
- Creamy Vanilla Frosting:
- When cookies are cooled, they can be iced with the icing of your choice. I use Betty Crocker's Creamy Vanilla Frosting recipe, as follows:
- 3 C. powdered sugar1/3 C. butter, softened.1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1-2 Tbs. milk
- 1. In large bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or hand mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in vanilla and 1 Tbs. milk.
- 2. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff or thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting is too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frost your cooled cookies.
- Makes enough frosting to frost a 9x13-inch cake, or 2 layers of an 8 or 9" cake. Frosting can be tightly covered and refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to soften, stir before using.