2020 Home For The Holidays Sugar Cookie Cutouts Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter and egg until soft dough forms.
• On floured surface, roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut with 4-inch house-shaped cookie cutter; on ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart. Reroll dough, and cut additional cutouts.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, 1/3 cup warm water, meringue powder, vanilla and cream of tartar with electric mixer on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Spoon 1/3 cup icing (tint with food color, if desired) into small piping bag fitted with small round writing tip; twist bag to keep closed. Keep remaining icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out; set aside.
• On each cookie, squeeze piping bag firmly and steadily, working counterclockwise to create an icing border (use photo as guide). Release pressure on piping bag to cut off flow of icing and complete border. Allow borders to set completely, 30 to 60 minutes, before filling in. Add any icing from piping bag into bowl of remaining icing; keep covered with plastic wrap.
• Uncover remaining icing; mix well. In small bowl, place 1 cup of the icing. Tint with food color, if desired. Stir in warm water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until icing is the consistency of heavy cream. (Make sure icing is mixed well before adding next 1/2 teaspoon water.) Pour thinned icing into squeeze bottle, and screw on top. Keep squeeze bottle tip and any remaining icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out while decorating.
• Using squeeze bottle, on each cookie, fill inside of border with thinned icing. Use nozzle of squeeze bottle or small metal icing spatula to fill in all areas until completely covered. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes before adding any additional sprinkles. Let stand about 2 hours or until completely dry.
• Spoon 1/3 cup icing (tint with food color, if desired) into small piping bag fitted with small round writing tip; twist bag to keep closed. Pipe letters on top of dried glazed cookies. Let stand about 1 hour or until completely dry. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into three 10-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks., In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and food coloring until smooth; transfer to a resealable plastic bag; drizzle over cookies in the shape of a Christmas tree. Place one Red Hot at the top of each tree.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll out a portion of cookie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheets. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minute, rotating baking sheet halfway through cooking time. Cool completely on pans about 5 minutes, transfer to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and water to form a thick, smooth icing. Stir in food coloring to reach desired shade. Drop icing onto cookies using a small teaspoon and smooth with the back of the spoon. Make additional bowls for additional colors.
• Additional multi-colored sprinkles can be added on top of icing before it dries for more decorative cookies, if desired.

Steps:

• Sift the flour with baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter for a full minute, then add the sugar and beat at medium speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy and very light, another 2 to 4 minutes. With a wooden spoon gradually work the flour into the creamed mixture. Divide the dough into two portions and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least several hours or overnight.
• Heat the oven to 400°. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick, using more flour for the rolling pin, sprinkled on the dough, and additionally on the floured surface as needed to prevent sticking. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets.
• This dough works beautifully if gathered and rerolled; if it gets too soft, chill for about 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate or freeze the cut-out cookies on their baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes so they will retain their firm edges as they bake; if you're in a hurry, go ahead and bake the cookies immediately. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until cookies are puffed and only just barely starting to brown at the edges: Start with the shortest amount of time and watch carefully, especially with very small cookies. As the cookies are fragile right out of the oven, let cool slightly before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When cool, glaze and decorate as desired.
• Makes up to 6 dozen cookies, depending on the size. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
• Whisk the egg white and salt until loosened and beginning to foam. Add oil, confectioners' sugar, and cream gradually and whisk, adding more sugar and cream until the glaze is of spreading consistency: You want it to be thin enough to spread easily over the cookies to their edges, but not so thin it runs off the sides.
• Using an offset spatula or a smooth table knife, spread the glaze over each cookie, filling in the shape to its edges. While the glaze is wet, you can decorate the cookies with colored sprinkles, or leave the glaze plain, let dry, and add more decoration with Royal Icing.
• Before you start, make sure that all utensils and containers are clean and grease-free. Have ready several small containers for dividing the icing and tinting it with different colors, if desired. You will need to keep the royal icing covered with a damp cloth, plastic wrap, or tight fitting lid or it will dry out. Royal icing will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for about one week. This recipe is proportioned for the firmest-textured icing; adjust the texture with the addition of water or sugar as explained below.
• If using egg whites, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar and beat until the icing is thick and holds billowy peaks, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add glycerin for extra shine, if desired.
• If using meringue powder, whisk the meringue powder and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the water and beat on low speed for about 5 minutes, until icing is thick and holds billowy peaks. Don't overbeat or the icing texture will become hard to work with. Add glycerin for extra shine, if desired. To adjust the consistency of icing: To thicken, add sifted confectioners' sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking thoroughly until you reach the desired consistency. To thin, add warm water a few drops at a time, mixing with a spoon. Piped outlines and details require the thickest icing; flows of color over a whole cookie or in sections can be somewhat thinner.
• Royal icing hardens very quickly when exposed to air, so cover with a damp cloth, plastic wrap, or container lids when not in immediate use.
• Divide the icing into separate containers for each color to be used. Tint the icing with small amounts of food coloring until it reaches the color desired.
• To use, icing can be spread onto cookies with an offset spatula or table knife-even painted on with small, previously unused paintbrushes, such as the ones that come in a child's paint box-or it can be piped through a pastry bag and tips. For simple, plain outlines, use a zipper plastic bag with a tiny hole cut from one corner.
• Makes about 3 cups of icing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, to chill dough before rolling.
• Roll dough thickly. (about 1/4"). If you roll them too thin, they are hard to work with.
• Cut shapes, and put on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake 10-12 minutes.
• Cool on rack.
• Frost with your favorite frosting, icing, or glaze.

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a generous 1/8 inch thick. Using a tree-shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies, and space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps, and cut out. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Drizzle cookies with icing; sprinkle with nonpareils. Let set.

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix powdered sugar, buttery sticks, almond milk and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon until blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half; shape each into flattened round. Wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 375°F. On generously floured surface, roll each half of dough 3/16 inch thick. Cut into assorted shapes with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon of the shortening uncovered on High about 60 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Spoon chocolate into small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Repeat with the white vanilla baking chips and remaining shortening.
• Cut off tiny corner of each bag. Squeeze bags to drizzle over cookies. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Let stand about 1 hour or until set. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container.