Give the Man a Cookie

I think I've finally recovered from my recent foray into decorated sugar cookies. For the past few years I have attacked every holiday, birthday, family get together, grandson's school parties and assorted sporting events like a woman possessed. I have rolled and cut and outlined and flooded and sprinkled and piped and painted every shape and size of cookie. And when I finally got my beautiful bright red Kitchenaid mixer, Ruby, and discovered I could make 4 batches of sugar cookie dough at a time, I swear I heard angels sing. But then something odd happened. I wrapped up those little packets of dough and tucked them away in my freezer sometime in November and didn't get them back out until just this past weekend. I have determined I was suffering from CCCFS (chronic cutout cookie fatigue syndrome).

But something about Valentine's Day just screams decorated cookies to me. So, I drug out 2 of those little dough packets and my big basket of cutters, colors, bottles, bags and tips, luster dust and other assorted tools of the trade and went to work.

Two days later Pops was still waiting on the cookies and was completely dismayed that anyone could take 2 days to bring a cookie to fruition. Until I presented him with the finished product. I think he was actually mildly impressed. Right up to the time he and Darlin' Mark wanted to know if they could eat them yet and were told not until after the photography session. Then he was back to wondering how a cookie can take so long.

I've played around with a myriad of decorating techniques, tips, tricks and styles, frostings and glazes but the one constant has been the cookie recipe. It is spectacular in it's simplicity and is the best recipe I've ever found for holding shape and still tasting good. Because at the end of it all, a pretty cookie that tastes like school paste is not a cookie at all.

Sugar Cut Out Cookies  Dorie Greenspan Recipe
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies depending on shapes and sizes

350 degrees, 8-11 minutes

Ingredients

10 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

Rolling pin, 1/4 inch dowel rods, cookie cutters, baking sheets, parchment paper

Process

In medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder
Using stand mixer or hand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 6-8 minutes.
Add egg, egg  yolk, and vanilla extract, mix on medium speed until incorporated.
Turn mixer down to low and add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time until just mixed.
Divide dough in half and pat into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. Can also place wrapped discs in freezer bags and store frozen for 6 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before rolling and baking.

When ready to bake cookies, take dough out of refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap one disc at a time.
Lightly flour surface. I've tried powdered sugar but find that flour works much better and if used sparingly doesn't affect the taste or texture of the cookies.

Lightly flour rolling pin and begin to roll dough into circle, rectangle or if you're like me something resembling an ameoba. 
After a few passes with the rolling pin, place your dowel rods on each side of the dough and continue to roll the dough with ends of the rolling pin rolling over the rods. This will help ensure your dough is rolled to an even level and 1/4 inch is just right for a not too thick, not too thin cut out cookie.

Ameoba

Arrange cookie cutters over dough leaving as little space as possible between cutters. 
Push cutters straight down through dough.
Leaving the cutters in place, pull the excess dough away from the cutters. 

Lift the cookie cutters and use a thin metal spatula or bench scraper to move cookies to parchment lined cookie sheets. Leave about 1 inch space between cookies for baking.

Gather scraps and roll, cut again using as much dough as possible.
Place cookies in freezer to chill for 10 minutes before baking.
Bake on middle rack of oven for 8-11 minutes. Rotate baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking.
Do not over bake cookies. Should be dry on edges, slightly shiny on top, just starting to turn a golden brown on bottom.

Cookies are slightly puffy, moist on top. Will flatten to 1/4 inch thickness and set firm on cooling.

Cool completely on rack. 

Make me pretty!

Can decorate after cooling or store in airtight container and decorate later. 
Cookies will keep in airtight container for 1 week.

Go out and browse some sites for decorating tips, techniques and styles. I will be posting some of my personal favorites here in the future. Have fun, experiment and remember the mistakes taste just as good as the successes!

Now get rollin'!