Holiday Baking Part 2 - Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Every year I always bake sugar cookies. This year I spotted a few versions of the same recipe. Whenever I make mine, I dip them in a white light glaze made of icing sugar and milk, then color the leftover and drizzle it over the stars (as shown). I really liked the way the snowflake looked with the balls on it, so I'll likely do that again next year. At the top is a stained glass cookie - same sugar cookie recipe, but you cut out the middle and put crushed hard candy (in my case, Jolly Ranchers) in the center and bake it using parchment paper. It was a horrible disaster, so no I won't be doing those again.

I also made them low sugar by only adding 1/3 of a cup of sugar instead of a full cup. Everyone seems to find them just sweet enough with the glaze that they don't even notice.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Servings: 36

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla (I free-pour personally)

1 egg

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder

Pinch salt

Preparation:

Line rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; set aside. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt, add to butter mixture in 3 additions, stirring after each. Divide in half; flatten and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

On lightly floured surface, roll out each half of dough to 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Place, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on prepared pans. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350°F (180°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until light golden on bottoms and edges, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 1 minute. Transfer to racks; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month).