Recipes

These are THE BEST sugar cookies.  About 20 years ago (really?? 20 years?…yes!), while searching for a sugar cookie that reminded me of a fall festival(?), I found this recipe.  Ever since then, I make these each holiday using the appropriate cookie cutter. Everyone always tells/told me that I should sell them.  Now I do 🙂

CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES (adapted from a Women’s Day Holiday Cookie Edition-about 20 years ago)
-all organic ingredients
yield: about 16 big thick cookies or 24 small and thin

3 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest from about 1/2 of an orange

1) In a medium bowl, combine four and baking powder;set aside
2) In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3) Add egg, vanilla and orange zest
4) At low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, just until incorporated
5) Divide dough in half and shape into disks. Wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours (until firm enough to roll out)

6) Preheat oven to 350*. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
7) Lightly flour work surface. Unwrap cookie dough. Roll dough to desired thickness (I like my sugar cookies really thick 🙂 )
8) Cut out various shapes and place about 1″ apart onto baking sheets.
9) Bake 10 to 12 minutes

BASIC ICING

8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 stick unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest

1) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth and thick
2) smooth onto cooled cookies

Enjoy!
notes: Sometimes, I ice my cookies while they are a bit warm. The icing melts to a glaze. Yummy 😛