Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

'Tis the season to be happy and ....bake some Christmas cookies!

These sugar cookies are easy to make and children (of all ages) can have fun making and decorating them.


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Making sugar cookies it is a great Sunday afternoon activity to get the younger ones involved in the spirit of the holidays while making great memories.

Here I am on  a Sunday afternoon with my two grandchildren. They eagerly helped with the mixing of ingredients and had a lots of fun cutting out the shapes. 


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Christmas Cut-Out Cookies Recipe


INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Glaze Icing:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 –2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 tsp lemon juice
Gel food coloring of your choice
Sprinkles
3-4 cookie cutters of your choice



DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and cream of tartar; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30  minutes.

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Preheat oven to 350° F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured holiday shapes cookie cutters. Place on non-greased baking sheets. Gather together the remnant pieces of dough into a ball which you can roll out as previously to cut out some more shapes. 

Bake until edges begin to brown slightly, about 7– 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and set aside pan for 2 minutes, than remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely before icing.

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For the glaze icing:

Sift the sugar into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, syrup and lemon juice and food coloring. Using  a wooden spoon, stir together to form a paste. Add more milk, teaspoon at the time if need it until you reach the right consistency. (Should be soft enough to be able to pipe your design but not runny. Pipe  on a plate or the cookie itself. It should stay in place).

Place a piping bag fitted with a drawing end into a tall glass. Spoon the glaze into the bag and twist the top. Use it to draw design on the cookies after they have been cooled. Icing should be soft and but not to runny so can hold its shape once piped on the cookies. Use sprinkles on top of the glaze and set cookies aside to dry.

To use it as a glaze (flood) on the entire cookie, add a bit more milk.

                  

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!



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