Life is short, have a cookie to celebrate!!
This chapter is quite literally about how to create the base for all of your decorated cookies! It is super important, because what’s the point of celebrating with a cookie if it doesn’t taste good? This might be your favorite chapter or possibly your worst enemy depending on the set of skills you’re working with, but I can guarantee you will be referring back to this chapter the most! Grab your measuring spoons and buckle up—it’s time to bake! Like I said before, I am not professionally trained. The tips and tricks you will read in this chapter work for me, and it’s okay if you prefer something different; I encourage it! There are so many talented bakers willing to share their knowledge, I suggest hopping on social media and soaking it all in until you find the right equation for you!
This is a standard recipe for soft cut-out cookies. I suggest using the highest quality ingredients that are available to you. Take the time to test different extracts based on your personal preference. Almond extract is a simple yet delicious substitute for vanilla!
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
•2 c. salted butter (room temperature)
•2 ½ c. sugar
•2 large eggs
•4 tsp. vanilla extract
•6 c. flour
•1 tsp. baking powder
•1 tsp. salt
•Airtight container, for storage
Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.In a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, then stir until combined.
3.In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. While the mixer is on low, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the mixer. At this point, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let chill for about 30 minutes.
4.Sprinkle powdered sugar so the dough doesn’t stick, and roll out the dough to about ⅜ inch. Don’t be afraid to get a ruler so you can visually see what ⅜ of an inch looks like. We love thick cookies!
5.Using your desired shapes, cut out the dough. Make the most out of the rolled dough by cutting out the shapes as close to each other as possible.
6.Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake to perfection for 8–10 minutes or until the center of the cookie has risen and is puffy.
7.Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet until completely cool to the touch. Repeat these steps until all your cookies are baked!
Yields 3–4 dozen cookies.
The dough can be stored tightly wrapped in your refrigerator for up to one week. Once the cookies are baked, store in an airtight container until you are ready to decorate.
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Now, I’m sure you have some sort of collection of cookie cutters collecting dust in a lost drawer in the kitchen, or like my mom, maybe you keep them packed away with the Christmas decorations, pulling them out only when Santa is coming to town. Pull them out and see what you’re working with! So many shapes can be repurposed into other things; don’t be afraid to sketch things out if you can’t figure out what the shape is supposed to be, trust me, it happens!
For this book I used a variety of Ann Clark Cutters; they are metal and made right here in the USA. The following is not just a list of cutters used in the book, this set is a perfect assortment to start your own cutter collection:
•Circle
•Rectangle
•Heart
•Basket
•Ice cream cone
•Pumpkin
•Snowflake
•Ring
•Onesie
•Santa and a cake
Now this is only the beginning; there are so many amazing cookie cutter companies and more and more are popping up each day with the powers of 3D printing. Do a little research and support a small business! I’m sure if you follow us on social media you have seen our huge pegboard we use to store all of the hundreds of cutters we own. Try keeping that organized! Make sure to properly clean your cutters before and after each use.
Voilà! Your blank cookies are ready for all your artistic skills. Bookmark this chapter because you will be using this recipe a lot. Don’t be afraid to try other recipes or other flavors, or just adding extra flair to this one. Troubleshoot your family recipe; I tend to find older cookie recipes call for cookies to be rolled too thin and baked too long, but both are easy fixes! Honestly, I won’t blame you if this is your least favorite chapter. Baking isn’t for everyone! Coming from someone who would beg my very sweet now-fiancé to make all my cookie dough for me, I get it! My joy comes from decorating. Find your joy!
PS: No one ever said you can’t bake and decorate pre-made cookie dough! Pick your battles and find a frozen dough that doesn’t spread too much.
Notes
•For those looking for cookies that are precisely the same thickness every time, consider purchasing dough guides. These are typically plastic rods that take the guesswork out of rolling! I highly suggest them for people planning to bake a lot of cookies.
•To keep cookies soft and maintain a consistent texture, I do not recommend rolling out the dough more than six times. This is why it is important to make the most out of your dough when cutting it out! Think of it like a puzzle.
•With this recipe, the cookies will spread in the oven but should hold their general shape.
Royal icing is the key to perfectly decorated cookies. It is also the hardest part to master! This chapter will guide you through the step-by-step process of making royal icing, how to achieve the perfect colors, and the biggest challenge: the consistency! Royal icing dries completely hard, which makes the cookies easy to package without a mess.
This is a standard royal icing recipe using meringue powder. I prefer to use meringue powder as a safety precaution with the volume of cookies I make and decorate. If this is the method you would like to use, I would highly suggest ordering meringue powder from a specialty baking store. Picking up this ingredient from a local