There are a few Christmas goodies that I make during the holidays, such as the buckeye brownies I featured on the blog a few years ago. I found the recipe to replace my Dad's buckeye candy recipe because I just can't seem to get his recipe right. I find the whole process rather labor intensive, and the brownie recipe is a little easier. I have also started making a chocolate marshmallow type fudge each holiday.
Even though I bake some, I have never made homemade cookies. I'm guilty of popping in Pillsbury ready made cookies into the oven, and saying, "Happy Holidays!"
Liza wanted to make cookies this year. She really likes my food blogging friend, Stacey Sprenz, of CookEatLife.com because of their curly-hair connection. Stacey was my lifesaver this year because she volunteered to make cookies with Liza so that she could hang out with us one afternoon.
She spent three hours at our home this week, and their labor of love resulted in some fun times, and some delicious cookies. Stacey's recipe was handed down to her from her Mom. The ingredients are all-natural and simple.
Stacey believes the secret to all the cookie goodness is to use pure vanilla extract in the dough, and pure almond extract in the icing.
Kid-Friendly and Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe
1 cup salted butter (softened)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt (1/4 tsp)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of a mixer. Add vanilla extract and the egg. Continue mixing until thoroughly mixed together. Add pinch of salt and the flour. Mix until it forms a dough. Wrap dough in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Remove dough from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before making the cookies.
Cut the dough ball in half (you will repeat these steps with each half of the dough). On a floured surface, roll out dough until it is about 1/4” thick. Cut cookies using holiday cookie cutters.
Remove excess dough from around each cutout and place in a pile. Using a thin spatula, move the cookies to a baking sheet. Bake cookies for 8 minutes rotating the pans after 4 minutes. Allow to cool for 1-2 min. on the baking sheet and then move to cooling rack.
Cut the dough ball in half (you will repeat these steps with each half of the dough). On a floured surface, roll out dough until it is about 1/4” thick. Cut cookies using holiday cookie cutters.
Take the pile of excess dough and using your hands, knead into a ball. Place on a floured surface and roll out. Repeat the above steps. You can do this at least one more time with the same dough. Discard excess dough once it has been rolled out twice.
Sugar Cookie Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs. milk
2 tbs salted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Melt the butter, then add it to a bowl containing the powdered sugar. Add the milk and almond extract. Stir with a spatula until all of the sugar is incorporated. The mixture should we slightly stiff and smooth. Add more milk 1/2 tsp. at a time if the mixture is too thick. Divide the icing into three bowls and add food coloring of choice. Place into individual piping bags with various decorating tips.
Thanks Stacey for our holiday memories. I hope you're available next year because I think you are a hard act to follow.
Stacey will be teaching several cooking classes for kids and adults with the Holly Springs Park and Recreation Department in 2015. Classes include Breakfast for Dinner, Pasta Making, and Healthy Soups.
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