How to Bake Christmas Sugar Cookies

Christmas Cookies are always a delightful way for different generations to share fun times together. There is nothing nicer than the ritual “Christmas bake” with the children or grandchildren. Even toddlers can choose a Santa Claus or gingerbread shape to frost and decorate. Older children will enjoy cutting the cookie dough into star, angel and Christmas tree shapes with cookie cutters.

Make small amounts of frosting in different colours and sprinkle generously with nonpareils, silver balls and chocolate sprinkles to produce a “rainbow effect” in the cookie jar.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3-3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened (not melted)
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter or margarine, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy.

3. Gradually add flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for two hours.

4. Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F). On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1 cm -(1/4”) thick. Cut out in Christmas cookie cutter shapes – Christmas trees, angels, lambs, Santa Claus, gingerbread men, stars, reindeer, and roosters. Place the shapes 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, checking after 6 minutes. Cookies will be done when edges are lightly browned. Do not allow cookies to get too brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Remove from cookies sheets to aluminium foil on a flat surface and allow to cool completely.

6. Make a series of different coloured frosting and spread on the cooled cookies with a flat knife. Sprinkle with the cake decorations.

Tips & Warnings

• Freshly made cookies need to be cooled completely before storing in airtight containers or the cookies will become soft.
• For frosted cookies, always let the frosting dry completely before storing or the cookies will stick together.
• It is best to store filled and frosted cookies in a single layer or between layers of parchment or wax paper.
• Always store each type of cookie separately. If you store different flavored and textured cookies together they will end up taking the same.

Resources

• Great articles on health and unique recipes

[zadsdonna]

on 12/10/2008 sound great, How many cookies will they make?