No holiday is complete without sugar cookies. This is an easy, no-roll-out version, and you can decorate them and make them special with many options that might surprise you. If you’ve previously resisted making sugar cookies, try this recipe. You won’t be sorry.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons buttermilk
Raw sugar or colored sprinkles (optional decoration)
Directions
In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Blend the mixture to combine well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use a hand mixer, set on medium speed, to cream the butter and sugar together until it is smooth.
Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Gradually blend in the flour mixture, adding a small amount at a time and mixing well between additions.
Add the buttermilk one tablespoonful at a time. You just want to add enough buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a teaspoon to scoop up a rounded spoonful of dough. Roll the dough into a ball and place it on an ungreased cookie sheet, flattening the cookie slightly.
Using a pastry brush dipped in the remaining buttermilk, moisten the top of each cookie. Then sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.
Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes or until the centers are firm and they begin to turn golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decoration Ideas
While it was suggested that you decorate these sugar cookies with raw sugar or sprinkles, there are many ways to add some fun, flavor, and visual appeal to your holiday cookies. Here are a few ideas you may want to try.
- Use a variety of holiday-related cookie cutters. From reindeer to mittens and snowmen to candy canes and even snowflakes, there are many cookie cutters shapes available today you are sure to find just what you’re looking for.
- Enhance the cookie’s taste by using flavored sugars to decorate.
- Mix a little powdered drink mix with granulated sugar and sprinkle on the cookies.
- Draw or paint on the cookies using this simple icing recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-decorate-cookies-with-icing-the-easiest-simplest-method-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-198240
- Use a small stencil and colored sugar or food coloring to add a design or symbol quickly.
- Personalize or add fine details to cookies using food decorator pens.
- Fruit leather and miniature candies can be used to create clothing for snowmen. Large grain sugar makes snowflake cookies sparkle. Taffy can be stretched to just about any shape and size.
Yield: About 4 dozen cookies
Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chewy-sugar-cookies-recipe.html
